INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 1 cup mozzarella balls mini, whole or halved
• 13 cherry tomatoes plum or , I used tricolor, halved
• ½ red onion medium dice
• 1 cup cucumber sliced and seeds removed (I cut the cucumber in half and removed the seeds with a fruit scoop)
• ½ cup black olives green or purple would also taste delicious here
• ½ cup parsley chopped
• 10 oz salami smaller dice (or other Italian sausage, or kielbasa)
• 15 oz pasta fusilli, rotini, farfalle, or any other pasta that has little curves that the dressing gets stuck in
• ½ cup bell pepper diced (red tastes better as it is sweeter and balances the salty flavors well)

Dressing

• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil + 3 tablespoons
• 1 tsp Dijon
• 1 tsp Maple syrup
• Salt and black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions (al dente). Add a little salt to your pasta. Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander and let cool down or even chill in the fridge before stirring with other ingredients. (We are going for a cold salad here).
2. For faster cooling, arrange pasta on a baking sheet while you cut other ingredients.
3. Make the dressing. In a mixing jug or mason jar with a lid, combine dressing ingredients and stir/shake well. Let stand (fridge or room temperature) for 15-30 minutes for flavors to blend.
4. Prepare your veggies and salami by cutting them and arrange in a large mixing bowl. Add in the pasta and stir in the dressing. Taste for seasoning.
5. For better flavor, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour. It is however optional.