Salami Pasta Salad

4 c. uncooked medium tube pasta or elbow macaroni
½ pound bulk hard salami or summer sausage, cubed
½ c. minced fresh parsley
6 green onions, sliced
½ c. olive or vegetable oil
¼ c. cider or red wine vinegar
4 tsp. minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
4 tsp. minced fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ c. shredded Parmesan cheese

In a sauce pan, cook pasta according to package directions, rinse in cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl; add salami, parsley and onions. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and seasonings. Drizzle over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese. Yield: 8 – 10 servings.

The other day, my friend. Kathy, asked me if I had a good pasta salad recipe. She was asked to make some for the cast party of Beauty and the Beast (at Providence this Spring). She told me she had checked my blog, but hadn't found one. For a moment I could not recall one. Then the light bulb brightened and I exclaimed, "Oh yes I have one we really like!" And this is it.

This came from the 2001 Taste of Home Annual Recipes (page 254). I subscribed to that magazine for a number of years and then usually got the Annual cookbook, so as to not have all those magazines hanging around. I had tried this one and our daughter, Elizabeth really like it. So much so that when she decided she wanted her wedding reception to be a "big picnic" she specifically asked for this salad. What is so great about it for outdoor picnics is that there is no mayonnaise in it to be potentially hazardous to one's health. I very often just use sliced salami, instead of the bulk and dice it up as the recipe calls for. Actually these smaller pieces just mean it is distributed more throughout the salad.

A God-incidence: After sending this recipe to Kathy, I started thinking, "I wish I had a pitch-in dinner coming up, so I have a reason to make this." (Recipe makes too much for just Gary and me!) Well today I got an e-mail that there will be a pitch-in dinner at our pastor's home next Tuesday. Wow! What a way to answer prayer, Lord! Thank you!

May you enjoy this especially when picnic weather is here!