The other day, as people were telling me about the polar vortex, I was day-dreaming about summer. I was thinking about watermelon and fireworks and s’mores. I also thought about my favorite bbq side dish: pasta salad. I realized something amazing: I don’t have to wait for summer to have pasta salad. We can do whatever we want! So, let’s have it right now!

This is a winter-inspired pasta salad. There’s hearty lettuces such as raddichio and lacinato kale which actually hold up really nicely with the pasta. The artichoke hearts and olives are canned; they’re pantry staples for me, making this dish something that doesn’t lean on fresh summer vegetables. It’s a celebration of hibernation and carbs!

Wintery Pasta Salad

This colorful wintery pasta salad takes advantage of seasonal greens and pantry staples. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes)

Ingredients

• Kosher salt 
• 1/2 pound pasta, of choice
• 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil 
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Freshly cracked pepper 
• Pinch of crushed red pepper 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 4 leaves of lacinato kale
• 1 small head of raddichio
• 1 (14-ounce) can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered 
• 1/2 (14-ounce) can of green, pitted olives, drained and sliced
• 1/4 red onion, peeled and diced 
• 1 ounce of Parmesan-Reggiano, finely grated

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package’s instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. 
2. To a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, a bunch of rounds of black pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano and a few liberal pinches of salt. Give the dressing a taste and adjust the salt according to taste. Add the kale and mix, massaging the kale in order to make it slightly softer.
3. Next, add the radicchio, artichoke hearts, olives, red onion, Parmesan and reserved pasta. Toss until combined. Adjust the salt to taste. Serve. 

Yield: 4

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.