tahini pasta salad

Spring is right around the corner, and with that, grill season is also upon us. This is one of my favorite side dishes to bring to a cookout. The creamy tahini dressing is a great alternative to a mayo-based pasta salad and provides the perfect backdrop to the bitter radicchio and tangy pepperoncinis. This dish can easily be made vegan by omitting the salami. It’s the kind thing that you can make ahead and the flavors continue to get better and better.

Tools needed: large mixing bowl, pot for boiling pasta, microplane for grating garlic

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1/3 c tahini

1 lemon, juiced

1 clove garlic, grated

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

For the pasta salad:

1 lb ridged or curly pasta, such as gemelli or fusilli

1 head radicchio, chopped

1 cup pickled pepperoncinis, sliced

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (1 jar)

2 cup fresh basil, torn

4 oz salami, thinly sliced

Step 1:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Strain and rinse with cold water to cool and set aside.

Step 2:

Make the dressing by adding the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, dijon, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to a jar with a lid. Tightly secure the lid onto the jar and shake until ingredients are emulsified. If your dressing is too thick, adjust by adding 1 Tbsp of cold water and shake again to emulsify.

Step 3:

Chop the radicchio by slicing off the stem and cutting from top to bottom. Place the radicchio cut side down and cut in half again, top to bottom. Slice into ribbons, cutting crosswise and add to a large bowl. Add the pepperoncinis, sun-dried tomatoes, torn basil, and salami (cut into bit-sized pieces). Add the cooked pasta and dressing. Toss until pasta is fully coated, and ingredients are evenly dispersed. Taste for seasoning. Adjust and serve!