Rainbow Antipasto Pasta Salad

5 from 1 vote

Rainbow Antipasto Pasta Salad

This vibrant Mediterranean rainbow antipasto pasta salad is bursting with colorful veggies, olives, feta, and salami tossed with an amazing garlic confit dressing. Whether you serve it as a side dish or a main course, it’s perfect for a Christmas feast, barbeque, or a weeknight dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2 10

Total Time2 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings:

Author: Daen Lia

Ingredients

For the Garlic Confit Dressing

15 garlic cloves
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
flakey sea salt to taste
pepper to taste

For the Pasta Salad

18 ounces dried pasta such as orchiette
3 1/2 ounces artichoke hearts chopped
3 1/2 ounces green olives pitted and crushed
7 ounces cherry tomatoes sliced
1/2 cucumber sliced
7 ounces roasted red peppers sliced
3 1/2 ounces semi sun dried tomatoes
7 ounces salami sliced
1/2 red onion finely sliced
fresh basil sliced
3 1/2 ounces feta crumbled
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Imperial (US) - Metric

Instructions

Making the Garlic Confit Dressing

Preheat: Preheat the oven to 265°F (130°C).
Peel Garlic: Separate all the cloves from the garlic bulbs and place them in a heatproof bowl. Cover them with boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain. The skins will become loose and easy to peel off.
Bake Confit: Place the peeled garlic cloves into an ovenproof dish and cover with olive oil, making sure it's fully submerged in olive oil so it does not burn. Roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The oil will bubble slightly as it cooks.
Mash: Separate the garlic cloves from the oil, then press the cloves with the back of a spoon until they turn into a paste.
Whisk Dressing: Add the paste to a bowl with the reserved oil, and whisk it with the remaining dressing ingredients until it's well combined. Taste and ensure the dressing is to your liking, as it may require more sweetness or acidity.

Making the Pasta Salad

Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, then cook the pasta following the cooking time on the packet. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water and allow it to cool slightly.
Assemble: Place all the ingredients into a large bowl except for the feta cheese. Pour in the dressing and mix well, then sprinkle the feta on top and gently mix through. Serve warm or cold.

Video

Notes

Try to chop all the ingredients roughly the same size to make the salad easy to eat. Likewise, use a smaller, bite-sized pasta shape that is similarly sized to the other ingredients.
Short on time? Swap the garlic confit for 7 cloves of fresh minced garlic. You'll need less, since fresh garlic is much more pungent than the sweeter confit.
Make the salad in advance if you'd like to serve it cold; simply refrigerate the ingredients and add the dressing right before serving.
Add the feta right before serving the salad so the cheese doesn't fall apart.

Nutrition