Mediterranean Pasta Salad with White Anchovies
By: Tom and Anita Morgan
Published: Sunday, May 3, 2015 - 12:12pm

Ingredients




For the salad:
8 ounces rotelli pasta
4 white anchovies from Spain
4 ounces artichoke hearts, sliced
1/2 small red onion, chopped small
6 assorted sweet mini peppers, seeded & chopped in rounds
3/4 cup sugar plum tomatoes cut in half
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, cut in half
3 ounces crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Fresh ground black pepper
For the dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 t sugar
1/2 t oregano
pinch of salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

1 1. Cook the pasta for 9-11 minutes or according to directions on the box. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spray lightly with olive oil and mix to keep it from sticking together while you prepare the rest of the salad. 2 2. While the pasta is cooking, mix all of the dressing ingredients together and set aside. 3 3. Slice the peppers and artichoke hearts, cut the olives and tomatoes in half and chop the onion. 4 4. Transfer the pasta to your salad bowl, add the remaining salad ingredients and toss. 5 5. Add the dressing and toss to mix completely. Place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight for the flavors to blend together.

About

It's great fun to be creative and especially with food as you get to reap the benefits by eating your delicious creation. So it goes with this pasta salad. We wanted a side dish that was light, tasty and colorful using fresh ingredients. We had made a visit to our favorite gourmet store, The Back Porch Market where we purchased these wonderful tasting white anchovy fillets imported from Spain. If you haven't tasted them, give them a try; they are pickled with a slightly sour flavor and totally different than our regular anchovies, which are brined and therefore very salty. They are so flavorful and add to any salad. I often have them for lunch on a piece of bread with some cheese. YUM!