Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Makes 6 servings

ingredients

12 oz. dried farfalle (bowtie) pasta
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cup (6 oz) coarsely shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
18 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, cut in 1" long thin strips
1 oz (about 1 cup packed) fresh basil leaves - chiffonade large leaves

directions

1
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Toss pasta immediately with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, cover and cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 Tbsp. olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper to taste. Add cooled pasta, mozzarella, tomatoes, bell peppers, and basil. Toss to mix well. Note: add a little additional oil & vinegar if necessary; you don’t want the pasta to be too dry. Check seasoning and add additional salt & pepper to taste.
3
Serve at room temperature.

notes

To chiffonade basil, stack several large leaves and roll lengthwise tightly to make a "cigar". Then slice thinly across the cigar, creating thin strips of basil. Fluff the slices, so they do not stick together.

Source: Laura DeBell