By Linda Gassenheimer
From Tribune News Service

A holiday weekend is coming up! Here’s a quick and easy dinner for the weekend, or anytime. It’s based on an antipasto platter that usually contains cured meats, olives, cheese, assorted pickles and vegetables. Thinking of these ingredients, I created a quick and easy pasta salad. You can use other cured meats and vegetables that you like. Use this recipe as a guide for quantities. The salad can be made a day ahead. Refrigerate it and bring to room temperature before serving.

Helpful Hints

Countdown

Shopping List

To buy: 1 container corkscrew pasta, 1 bottle balsamic vinegar, 1/4 pound sliced lean deli ham, 1/4 pound sliced reduced-sodium smoked turkey breast, 1 small container pitted black olives, 1 can/jar roasted red peppers, 1 jar pepperoncini, 1 piece Parmesan cheese, 1 tomato and 1 bunch fresh basil.

Staples: olive oil, salt and black peppercorns.

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

Ingredients

Directions

Bring large saucepan three quarter filled with water to boiling. Add the pasta and boil 8 minutes. Remove 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to a large bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix well. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the ham, smoked turkey breast, olives, roasted peppers, pepperoncini and tomatoes. Toss all ingredients together. Divide in half and spoon onto two dinner plates. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and basil on top.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 538 calories (31% from fat), 18.4 g fat (4.3 g saturated, 7.9 g monounsaturated), 51 mg cholesterol, 35.8 g protein, 55.1 g carbohydrates, 5.4 g fiber, 889 mg sodium.

Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.” Listen to Linda on www.WDNA.org and all major podcast sites. Email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com. Copyright 2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC