The Sandwich Ingredient That Boosts The Flavor Of Pasta Salad

A tasty pasta salad and a top-tier sandwich share surprising culinary overlap. Both shine when the contained ingredients offer variety, yet not excess. The two benefit from fresh vegetables and a zippy vinaigrette, yet not enough to saturate each respective dish. Crossover options run aplenty; consider our pickle du jour, giardiniera, for example.

The tangy pickled vegetable medley — consisting of ingredients like carrots, celery, peppers, cauliflower, onions, and more — most commonly tops sandwiches like Chicago's Italian beef, New Orleans' muffaletta, and an Italian sub. Yet the condiment is an equally great fit for pasta salads, too. Full of variously textured crunchy vegetables, a sharp, tangy flavor, and aromatics, it's a powerhouse addition right out of the jar. You can buy a spicy or mild version, dictating the dish's character. Not to mention, giardiniera comes packaged with oil, which makes for an easy dressing foundation.

You can stir in additional flavorings like mustard, vinegar, or honey — hecl, you can even invent giardiniera-naise, or keep the condiment as is, adding more oil if necessary. Then, to really let the giardiniera base shine, mix it in with warm noodles, letting the pasta salad cool alongside the ingredients. You can round out the dish with further accouterments, but a trusty foundation is set — either store-bought or homemade giardiniera will effortlessly enhance a pasta salad.

Not sure what else to add to pasta salad alongside giardiniera? Keep more sandwich parallels in mind. Just like with bread, you can pile in the cold cuts, reaching for deli sandwich favorites like salami, mortadella, pepperoni, and capicola. Mix and match meats to your preference, chopping everything into uniform pieces to mingle alongside the tangy condiment.

Next, work in vegetables — fresh additions delectably complement the pickled ones. Small cherry tomatoes are a cornerstone in a Southwestern pasta salad recipe for good reason, delivering a pop of juiciness while imbuing a bright color. The raw fruit works well alongside giardiniera, but consider also scorching the tomatoes first to coax out more moisture and thus prevent a drippy salad. You can also add some greens — say arugula, lettuce, or basil — as well as diced onions for crunch. Giardiniera's composition is versatile, easily blending with many types of fresh produce.

Finally, round out your giardiniera pasta salad with a few flourishes. A fan of briny flavors? Throw in some olives and pickled artichoke. Want something more cheesy? Go with baby mozzarella or parmesan. And if you want some added zippiness, pickles and banana peppers are welcome, too. Giardiniera lets you lean into many deli favorites, rearranged into pasta salad form.