muffuletta pasta salad with fried capers and pistachios
do you like salt? same.
You know when your phone starts showing you memories from “a year ago today” and you’re like wow, that meal was awesome or damn where did that shirt go? My phone did that recently and just so happens that about a year ago was my bachelorette party in New Orleans. I chose this city for all the obvious reasons but the main one being that I wanted to eat. I actually got in a night early with one of my best friends from college just so I could fit in more meals. Haha, I mean when in Rome, right? Together went to La Petit Grocery (crab stuffed beignets anyone?!), found some po’boys, drank a few too many $2 PBRs and it was perfect.
Throughout the weekend as a group ate beignets, crawfish, gumbo, oysters, a big fancy dinner with all the sauces, fried chicken, all the hits. On the last night, a few girls and I had our own agenda. We left the bars early because we were tired but also because I realized there was still one New Orleans delicacy we hadn’t gotten our hands on. The muffuletta. It was about 11 pm and we sought this sucker out. We found a deli that was open late and had what I will always remember as a transcendent experience. It could have been the alcohol, it could have been the hype, or it could have been the fact that we all love a good cold cut and olives. Whatever it was, the muffuletta was just as delicious as we hoped it would be. I have not had one since but it is still on my mind and we still text about it.
A few fun facts I learned about the muffuletta sandwich:
It was created by a Sicilian immigrant in New Orleans over a hundred years ago.
The word ‘muffuletta’ actually refers to the sesame seed dotted bread the sandwich is made on, which originates from Sicily
The word muffuletta is said to be derived from the Italian word muffe which means mold or mushroom because the bread itself is shaped like a large mushroom cap.
Cut to today - I desperately want a true muffuletta but I don’t know much about how the bread is made or where to find it in LA. I also know that the bread is a crucial piece of the equation. In comes my pasta salad take which I think is perfect for MDW. The taste is definitely there. Its flavor is olive-forward, a little punchy from the vinegar, cheesy, and meaty.
And please remember, this is my recipe and my interpretation. I’m certainly not claiming this to be an authentic recipe, but it is delicious!
muffuletta pasta salad with fried capers and pistachios
yes, I had just wiped my cutting board down before taking this picture and didn’t notice the mark until later :)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1/2 cup pitted castlevetrano olives, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
6-8 small pepperoncini, stems removed, roughly chopped
4 ounces pimento peppers, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely minced
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
1/4 cup high-quality olive oil
1/2 pound cavatappi pasta, or your favorite pasta salad shape
Kosher salt, to taste
1/3 pound hot soppressata, sliced 1/8-inch thick, cut into 1/4-inch squares
1/3 pound mortadella with pistachios, sliced 1/8-inch thick, cut into 1/4-inch squares
1/3 pound capicola, sliced 1/8-inch thick, cut into 1/4-inch squares
1/3 pound sharp provolone cut into 1/4-inch cubes (ask for the deli counter to cut you a thick slab)
3-4 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup capers, drained and dried on a paper towel
1/3 cup pistachio, divided
Instructions
In a medium bowl combine the castlevetranos, kalamatas, pepperoncini, pimento, parsley, oregano, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and olive oil. Cover and marinated overnight.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 9-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and immediately transfer to a large bowl. Quickly pour the remaining 1/4 cup of vinegar over the warm pasta. Stir well until all of the vinegar is absorbed. Mix in the olive salad and stir well until evenly distributed.
Add in your soppressata, mortadella, capicola, and provolone. Stir well until evenly distributed. Mix in about half of the pistachios.
In a small pan heat the canola oil until shimmering. Carefully add in the capers and fry for 60-90 seconds until the capers have opened up and are crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl to cool. They shouldn’t need salt and they will be highly addictive. Buyer beware.
Just before serving sprinkle on the remaining pistachios and the fried capers.
Store any pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
