Nothing screams summer like pasta salad! It's probably one of the simplest things to make as a side dish (or entire meal)—just cook some pasta, and add your favorite ingredients.
This particular recipe is something that I just tossed together based on what we had in the fridge (granted, we just went grocery shopping yesterday, so we had quite a bit in there). It's colorful, flavorful, and refreshing.
If you're not a huge fan of any of the ingredients in the list, you can always switch it up. Chopped mushrooms, broccoli, or olives make nice additions. If you want a slightly easier recipe, just replace the fried pancetta with some chopped pepperoni. You really can't go wrong here. Enjoy!
Pasta Salad with Crispy Pancetta
Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
8 oz your favorite twisty pasta (gemelli, cellentani, etc.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
10 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 oz freshly-grated grana padano parmesan cheese
Italian dressing
Freshly-ground salt and pepper
5 oz pancetta, cut into 1-inch squares
1. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain, toss the pasta in a splash of olive oil (to prevent sticking), and set aside in the refrigerator to cool.
2. While the pasta is cooking/cooling, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix onions, garlic, bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, and parmesan into the pasta. Add Italian dressing and pepper to taste. Don't add too much, if any, salt yet—the pancetta will add some saltiness to the dish.
4. Cook the pancetta in a frying pan until crispy, then place in a paper towel-lined plate and pat off the excess oil. Mix pancetta into the pasta salad and add salt (to taste) immediately before serving.