Muffuletta Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• To Make Olive Salad: In a medium bowl, combine the green olives, kalamata olives, garlic, cauliflower, capers, celery, carrot, pepperoncini, cocktail onions, celery seed, oregano, basil, black pepper, vinegar, olive oil and canola oil. Mix together and transfer mixture into a glass jar (or other nonreactive container). If needed, pour in more oil to cover. Cover jar or container and refrigerate at least overnight.
• To Make Sandwiches: Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally; hollow out some of the excess bread to make room for filling. Spread each piece of bread with equal amounts olive salad, including oil. Layer 'bottom half' of each loaf with 1/2 of the salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone. Replace 'top half' on each loaf and cut sandwich into quarters.
• Serve immediately, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for a few hours; this will allow for the flavors to mingle and the olive salad to soak into the bread.

Steps:

• For the olive spread: Combine the Kalamata and Manzanilla olives, red pepper, olive oil, vinegar, parsley and oregano in a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times, until evenly incorporated but still chunky (nothing larger than pea-size). If not using immediately, transfer the spread to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. (Makes 2 cups.)
• For the bruschetta: Lay the baguette slices on two baking sheets. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon of the olive spread. Then layer the slices with a piece of mozzarella, followed a piece each of provolone, mortadella, capicola and salami. (At this point, the bruschetta can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours; remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving.) Finish the bruschetta with a small dollop of olive spread, and garnish with a basil leaf. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini in boiling water until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water until chilled; drain.
• Mix carrots, pepperoncini, Genoa salami, Cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, sweet onion, green olives, Kalamata olives, pepperoni, celery, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and artichoke hearts together in a large mixing bowl. Pour Italian-style salad dressing over the salad and toss to coat; add pasta and stir.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Stir salad and add more Italian-style dressing as needed if you find the salad too dry.

Steps:

• Saute ham and salami in olive oil just until it starts to brown slightly.
• Add olive salad and cooked pasta; saute until penne is hot.
• Sprinkle with parmesan, provolone and parsley.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 14 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. , Cut bread in half horizontally; carefully hollow out top and bottom, leaving a 1-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use). Spoon half the olive mixture over bottom half of bread. Layer with salami, ham, mortadella, Swiss and provolone; top with remaining olive mixture. Replace bread top. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into 8 wedges.

Steps:

• Make the olive salad by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside to marinate.
• Assemble the muffuletta by slicing the loaf of bread horizontally into 2 large pieces, with the top piece 2/3 the size of the bottom piece. Hollow out the top piece by removing the soft bread inside, leaving 1/2 inch of bread near the crust. Spread half of the olive salad on the bottom piece. Begin layering the meats, starting with the soppressata and adding 1/4 of the provolone cheese between each layer of meat except for the last.
• Spread the remaining olive salad on the last layer of meat and top with the hollowed bread. Press down lightly and let sit at least 10 minutes. To serve, slice into 6 or 8 wedges. It will keep for several hours in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic.

Steps:

• Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Gradually blend in the oil. Stir in the olives and roasted peppers. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Cut the top 1-inch of the bread loaf. Set the top aside. Hollow out the bottom and top halves of the bread. Spread some of the olive and roasted pepper mix over the bread bottom and cut side of the bread top. Layer the meats and cheeses in the bread bottom. Top with the onions, then the arugula. Spread the remaining olive and roasted pepper mix on top of the sandwich and carefully cover with the bread top. You can serve the sandwich immediately or you can wrap the entire sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator a day before serving.
• Cut the sandwich into wedges and serve.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the oil, the carrot, celery, cauliflower, oregano, thyme and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are somewhat tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a small bowl and stir in the olives, pimento and salt. Set aside to cool.
• When the olive-vegetable salad has cooled, stir in the parsley.
• Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Using your hands, scoop out the inside of each bread half to make a shallow pocket. Brush the inside of the top half with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Fill the bottom bread half with the olive-vegetable salad and pack it down with your hands. Layer the provolone, mortadella and soppressata over the salad (without letting any hang over the sides).
• Cover with the top bread half and tightly wrap the sandwich with plastic wrap. Place the sandwich on a cutting board or baking sheet and weigh it down with a heavy object, such as a cast-iron skillet, for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Remove the plastic wrap and cut the sandwich into fourths or sixths. Serve.

Steps:

• Olive Salad: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Muffaletta Pasta: Sauté the ham and salami in the olive oil until lightly browned. Add the olive salad and the penne pasta and cook until the pasta is heated through. Transfer the ingredients to a serving plate and garnish with the remaining ingredients. This recipe yields 4 servings.