Antipasto Pasta Salad -- The Ensalada That Fed Eighteen and Held the Table Together

First week of June. Twenty-five days until retirement. The countdown is now measurable in discrete units of lunch services. I have twenty-two lunch services left at Hartford Hospital. I made a mental note of this on Tuesday when I saw the weekly menu board.

I made ensalada de coditos on Sunday. Macaroni salad. The Puerto Rican kind with the apple. It was a big batch because Sunday was a big dinner — eighteen people, the full crew, because David had come up from Brooklyn specifically to help me with the last stretch before retirement, and because Rosa had come up from New Haven, and because everyone was here at the same time for the first time since Easter.

David in my kitchen again. Three days. Thursday night through Sunday. He shadowed me on Friday night for a home cooking session, which is what we call it when we just cook together for nothing, for ourselves, for the kitchen. We made four things Friday night: a braised short rib, a coconut-curry-inflected mofongo stuffing, a pickle-plate of things from my pantry, and an experimental tres leches that had rum in the syrup. It was a kitchen playing-around night. David kept saying, "Ma, this would sell." I kept saying, "Mijo, this is not for sale. This is for Saturday's lunch. Stop trying to put everything on your menu."

He is going to put the short rib on his menu. He told me. He said, "Your short rib, with my addition of orange juice in the braising liquid, is going to be on the fall menu." I gave my permission. The Delgado recipes continue to leak into Brooklyn kitchens under his name. This is the chain going diagonal. This is fine.

Saturday we prepped for Sunday together — all day, a full-house cooking day, nine dishes for eighteen people. Sunday dinner landed perfectly. The ensalada de coditos went fast. The pernil was flawless. The rice held together. The beans were correct. Mami came and ate for an hour, which she has not done in a year, and she said, "This is a good table, Carmen." She said it quietly, to me, with her hand on my wrist. I nodded. I did not trust my voice.

After dinner David and I stood in the kitchen doing dishes. He said, "Ma, are you scared?" I said, "Of what?" He said, "Retirement." I said, "A little." He said, "You will find your thing." I said, "What thing?" He said, "I do not know. You will find it. You are not a woman who stops." I said, "I know, mijo." He said, "The kitchen on Sunday. This kitchen. This is your thing." I said, "This kitchen is mine. It has always been mine." David said, "Then you are not retiring, you are changing jobs."

I thought about that for a long time after he left. Changing jobs. Not retiring. Just changing jobs. Wepa.

The ensalada de coditos I made that Sunday — the Puerto Rican macaroni salad with the apple — is a family recipe I keep close, not one I’m ready to publish yet. But this antipasto pasta salad lives in the same spirit: a big, cold, make-ahead dish that earns its place on a table of eighteen, holds up through hours of talking and second helpings, and asks very little of you once it’s done. David would probably try to put it on his menu too. I’m giving it to you instead.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 32 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 10–12

Ingredients

• 1 lb rotini or fusilli pasta
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup green olives, sliced
• 4 oz sliced pepperoni, quartered
• 4 oz sliced salami, cut into thin strips
• 4 oz provolone cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup banana pepper rings
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3/4 cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and let cool completely.
2. Prep the meats and cheese. While pasta cools, quarter the pepperoni, slice the salami into strips, and cube the provolone into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
3. Combine the salad. In a very large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, black and green olives, pepperoni, salami, provolone, roasted red peppers, banana pepper rings, and red onion. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
4. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the Italian dressing, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
6. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors come together. Toss again before plating and scatter fresh parsley over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 380 | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 820mg