Italian Hero Pasta
The Italian hero sandwich is an icon, think of a collection of deli meats, cheese, tomato, lettuce, a hint of pepperoncino, and given a splash of moisture with a light and tangy vinaigrette, there are few sandwiches that can beat this classic…except for the Reuben, but that’s for another day.
At this point, it might as well be my mission to turn classic dishes into pasta dishes as that seems to be a lot of what I’ve done lately, and I think this Italian hero pasta dish will be another creative and delicious dish.
Here is the plan, I will fry up some salami and pepperoni to try to render out some of the flavorful fat out and get the meats a bit crispy, I will then saute some cherry tomatoes and pickled pepperoncino in said rendered fat for even more flavor. My pasta will then be tossed with that along with some cheese, arugula, mortadella, and a swirl of a simple red wine vinaigrette to hopefully cut through the richness of the dish.
I’m not one to sound overconfident, but I think this Italian hero pasta will be super delicious!
Serves 6
Salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 oz thinly sliced salami (regular or peppered, or both), chopped
6 oz thinly sliced pepperoni, chopped
1 pound of fusilli or any pasta you have
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 pickled pepperoncini, seeded and finely chopped
4 oz sharp provolone cheese, shredded
6 oz thinly sliced mortadella, chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups arugula
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then while constantly whisking, drizzle in the olive oil until you get a nice emulsion. Set aside.
Place the chopped salami and pepperoni into a cold pan with a drizzle of oil. Heat the pan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the meat has rendered some fat and becomes brown and crispy.
While the meat fries, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions for al dente.
Once the salami and pepperoni are done, add the tomatoes and pepperoncini, then sauté together for about 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften.
Drain the pasta, then add to the pan along with the cheese and mortadella. Toss to combine then heat for about a minute, or until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat, then add the vinaigrette and butter then keep swirling and tossing everything together until the butter is melted and has emulsified with the dressing.
Finally stir in the arugula, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
