this recipe is ryan’s “favorite pasta” (he asked why he’s been deprived when he saw me editing the photos, since it’s been awhile since we had it), and it is super duper simple. it will be on your plate in 20 minutes, give or take a couple minutes depending on how long it takes to boil water (and my stove takes forever).
i was a really picky eater growing up, and the only lunch meat i liked was salami. while i eat other kinds of lunch meat now, it is done somewhat reluctantly and salami remains my bff. anyway, since i was a picky eater i did not appreciate my mom’s great cooking. she made us dinner 5 nights of the week (at 6pm sharp – god help you if you “forgot” and were late) and i had the audacity to complain all the time. what i wouldn’t do to have my mom’s cooking every night now. i don’t know where she got this recipe (probably from the newspaper knowing her) but she made this recipe fairly often, as it was one of my favorites (i believe this was also a requested ‘birthday dinner’ i liked it that much). so when i make this it’s a bit like having my mom’s cooking, though i have to do it myself, which kind of defeats the purpose of “mom’s cooking”.
cast of characters: pasta, shredded parmesan cheese, olive oil, dijon mustard, salami, garlic (not pictured: chopped tomatoes – optional)
while your water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, chop your salami and mix together the olive oil, dijon mustard and minced garlic.
once the pasta is cooked and drained, mix it with the mustard mixture until coated. if it seems a little dry, drizzle in a little more olive oil.
toss in the shredded parmesan and the salami, and stir to incorporate.
add a sprinkle of extra parmesan on the top (because the only thing better than cheese is more cheese), serve and enjoy.
just a few simple ingredients mixed together make a salty, tangy, salami pasta party in your mouth. if you’re a salami lover, give this a try!
salami pasta
serves approx. 4
one pound pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (i like 2 – though we’re big garlic lovers. 2 = strong garlic flavor)
quarter pound salami, cut into pieces
1/2 cup shredded parmesan + more for topping
chopped tomatoes (optional)
1. cook pasta according to package direction.
2. while pasta is cooking chop the salami and mix the olive oil, dijon mustard and garlic together.
3. once pasta is done, drain. mix pasta with dijon mixture and stir to coat.
4. add salami and parmesan cheese, stir while still hot.
5. top with more parmesan cheese (and chopped tomatoes if you wish) and serve.
are there other salami lovers out there? or do you have a favorite childhood dish?
{justine}
