A new big, bold, statementpasta saladto fall in love with!
The crispy salami bits!
Meet the star player in todays line up crispy salami.
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Literally just chopped up salami, fried in a pan until crisp.
Think, bacon.With even more flavour!
Wait what do you mean youve never fried up salami before??!!
OK, truthfully, I hadnt either until I started down this I want to make aninterestingpasta salad!
A familiar state I find myself in pursuit of this (delicious!)
life I have chosen sharing recipes with the world.
I had a vision of a pasta salad version of myMega Italian Salad.
Multiple iterations later mm, I mean, its fine but its just pretty ordinary, ya know?
I arrived at todays version.
The crispy salami bits was the clincher!
Just briefly orzo vs risoni
The little rice shaped pasta bits of pasta are a firm favourite.
My pantry is never without multiple boxes!
Calledrisonihere in Australia andorzoin most of the rest of the world (UK, US, Canada).
But risoni is actually the correct name used in Italy becauseorzomeansbarleyin Italian.
And risoni is not made from barley, its made from flour like normal pasta!
So there you have it.
Risoni / orzo
Find risoni /orzo in the pasta aisle, usually sold in small boxes.
It costs around the same as spaghetti.Suggestions for alternatives below.
The add-ins
The add-ins for this recipe are inspired by everybodys favouriteMega Italian Salad.
But theres lots of alternatives go wild with salad add-ins of your choice!
Else, slice your own salami stick!
Substitutes As noted above, anything fryable that goes crispy will work great as a substitute.
Tomato I like using cherry tomatoes because they hold up better if keeping this for a few days.
However, you’ve got the option to use 3 large tomatoes instead.
Scoop out watery middle then dice the flesh.
But other leafy greens will work fine, chop into small(ish) pieces.
Capsicum/bell peppers For crunch!
Cucumbers would make a great sub.
Oh, and you dont HAVE to use green capsicum!
Yellow or red will be fine too….
Red onion Substitute with something similar for oniony freshness.
Substitutewith other briny things.
Im thinking: pickles, artichokes, fire roasted capsicum, other pickled veg.
Just want something with tang to balance out everything else going on in this salad!
Cheese What, youve never added a handful of shredded cheese into rubble key in salads before?
Substitutewith cheddar, monteray jack, pepper jack, gruyere, swiss etc.
Not mozzarella (not enough flavour) and not parmesan (too much flavour!).
Extra virgin olive oil The better the quality, the better your salad!
Red wine vinegar Substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Dried basil and oregano Substitute with an Italian herb mix or dried parsley.
Chilli flakes Optional, for the tiniest hint of warmth.
Sugar Just 1/2 teaspoon.
Cuts through the vinegar so you’re able to get away with using less oil.
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Garlic Fresh c’mon!
Jarred stuff barely resembles the real deal, and is also weirdly sour.
How to make risoni/orzo salad
Dressing Shake the dressing ingredients in a jar.
Always my preferred method to make dressings because it really combines the ingredients well.
Plus, useful storage!
Risoni / orzo Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water per packet directions.
Drain, rinse then toss in a little oil (to keep it from clumping) then cool.
Crispy salami Chop the salami into small pieces.
Then cook it in a non-stick pan like you do bacon until its crispy.
No oil needed, it will fry up in its own fat!
It will get crispier as it cools.To preserve crispiness, keep it separate until just before serving.
Toss 1 Toss all the salad ingredients together first without the dressing.
Im looking at YOU, rocket!
Tumble everything into a large serving bowl.
Sprinkle with reserved salami then eat!
Practical matters of Italian risoni/orzo salad
Some final words on this pasta salad!
Especially the crispy salami!
It does soften once its mixed through so keep it separate to preserve crispiness.
Shelf life once dressed Still very good after 2 hours, good after 3 days.
Its literally perfect similar size and shape.
Serve at room temp If you made ahead or have leftovers, bring to room temp before eating.
Youll taste everything better than when fridge cold.
For some reason, I find it really satisfying that I can eat this pasta salad with a spoon.
Are you judging me?
Love to know what you think if you try this recipe.
Especially, of course, the crispy salami bits!!
The morning sun is blinding him!
