It's Mardi Gras Time and Fat Tuesday!!
Next to a Ruben sandwich, the classic Muffuletta is by far my husband's favorite.
Since today is Fat Tuesday and the Muffuletta is the signature sandwich of Mardi Gras, I researched and found the history of this famous delicacy.
"The muffuletta sandwich has its origins at the Central Grocery in the French Quarter of New Orleans. According to Marie Lupo Tusa, daughter of the Central Grocery's founder, it was born when Sicilian farmers selling their produce at the nearby Farmers' Market would come into her father's grocery for lunch and order some salami, ham, cheese, olive salad, and either long braided Italian bread or a round muffuletta loaf. In typical Sicilian fashion they ate everything separately sitting on crates or barrels while precariously balancing their meals on their knees. Her father suggested cutting the bread and putting everything on it like a sandwich, even if it was not typical Sicilian fashion. The thicker braided Italian bread proved too hard to bite and the softer round muffuletta loaf won out. Shortly thereafter, farmers that came for lunch began merely asking for "muffulettas."
To change it up this week, I decided to make a Muffuletta Pasta Salad with all the great ingredients and flavors that you would enjoy in the classic sandwich.
Muffuletta Pasta Salad
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1 cup green olives, sliced
1 cup black olives, sliced
2 cups, grape tomatoes, sliced
1/4 pound ham, cut into thin strips
1/4 pound Genoa salami, cut into thin strips
1/4 pound mortadella, cut into thin strips
1 cup diced provolone cheese
1/4 pound ham, cut into thin strips
1/4 pound Genoa salami, cut into thin strips
1/4 pound mortadella, cut into thin strips
1 cup diced provolone cheese
1 cup Newman's Family Italian Salad Dressing
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, red onions, green olives, black olives, grape tomatoes, ham, salami, mortadella and provolone. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with salad dressing. (If possible, chill in refrigerator for 4 hours) to let the flavors fuse together. Spoon pasta salad onto plates. Makes 8 servings.
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