Stuffed Pasta Shells Salad

Stuffed Pasta Shells Salad

These are really good, make a salad that is different, and can be served with a meal or by themselves as a light meal. They are easy to make, unique, and great on a hot summer night.

12 oz box	large pasta shells
½ lb	salami or pepperoni thinly sliced and cut into thin strips
3 cups	washed and chopped iceberg lettuce
1 cup	finely chopped Roma tomatoes
¾ cup	cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
¾ cup	finely chopped red onion
1 cup	Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, NOT that pre-grated sawdust in a can in the dairy section of your local grocery store
½ cup	balsamic dressing of your choice or even better, use the recipe below to make a delicious sugarcane Creole mustard vinaigrette
	olive oil

Sugarcane Creole Mustard Vinaigrette
½ cup	white vinegar
¼ cup	cane syrup (we use Steen's, you can get it in most supermarkets in the syrup section)
⅓ cup	Creole mustard (DO NOT use yellow ballpark mustard!)
1 tsp	granulated garlic
¼ cup	olive oil

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally for approximately 8 minutes, or until the shells are cooked through but still firm. Drain and rinse with cold water. Some of the shells will break but you should have more than enough that are intact. Throw the broken shells away and coat the other shells with as little olive oil as possible while still making sure the shells don't stick together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

Combine the salami, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and cheese in a large mixing bowl, pour the dressing over everything and mix well. Stuff pasta shells with the mixture and place the shells on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to two hours before serving.

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