Italian Acini di Pepe Salad with Crispy Salami bits

6 min readAug 22, 2023

….A small round pasta that’s perfect for pasta salad. The name is Italian for “seeds of pepper” or “seeds of the grape.” The name given to it based on its appearance is just too cute. The small grains that are mixed with the ingredients are suitable for salads and taste so good. Also, the crispy salami makes it even more awesome! Usually, salami is used as it is in sandwiches or as a finger food ingredient. However, today I tried something different by pan-frying it to remove the excess oil and make it crispy before adding it to the salad. It was indeed a masterstroke. The crispy salami, created with a different cooking method, adds delight to the taste buds and brings joy to the palate with its unique protein preparation.

Servings: 4–5

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

250g (1 1/4 cups) Acini di Pepe pasta
2 tsp sea salt for cooking pasta
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
250g salami, chopped into 1/2" squares
1 cup green olives, sliced
2 cups baby arugula, torn by hand
1 large green pepper, cut into 1/2" squares
400g (2 1/2 cups) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
Some mozzarella or Colby cheese, shredded

For Italian dressing:

6 tbsp (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried basil(or 1 tbsp fresh basil, minced)
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt

Cooking Instructions:

Combine the Italian dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Store in the refrigerator.

2. Heat a pot over medium-high heat and add 5 cups of water and 2 tsp of sea salt to the pot to boil with a lid.

2. Bring the pot of water to a boil, then add the Acini di Pepe pasta to the pot and cook for 8 minutes.

3. Drain the pasta and toss it with the olive oil. Let it cool.

4. Heat a pan over medium-low heat and pan-fry the salami until golden. Drain the excess oil and let it cool until crisp.

5. Combine the Acini di Pepe pasta, tomatoes, green olives, green paprika, red onion, arugula, crispy salami, and mozzarella in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss them gently.