Instant Pot Farfalle Italian Salad

I brought this to the International Women's Club of Monroeville PA What's Cooking luncheon with thanksgiving as a theme and the awesome hostess, Mary, loved it.  She particularly liked that the pasta itself was flavorful.  Below are photos of the food from the wonderful affair.

Here is the recipe of the pasta salad I brought. I made it the day before and allowed it to sit overnight which helped made the pasta used, farfalle, absorb the dressing.  I used the instant pot method to prepare al dente pasta which I find to be pretty foolproof.  I made my own Italian dressing but you can use bottled commercial ones.  The vegetables you add are really up to your preference but I love olives in mine.  You may add cheese and cut meat like pepperoni or salami  as in this past blog post but I kept mine vegan and skipped any meat or dairy products. The guests still loved the salad even without those ingredients. You will too.

Instant Pot Farfalle Italian Salad

(Inspired by this recipe from this blog)

Instant Pot Pasta

• 16 oz Farfalle or any other type
• 4 cups cold water
• 1 tsp salt

Homemade Italian Dressing

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 6 tbsp oil  (or applesauce to make it oil free)
• 1 tbsp Onion flakes
• 3 tsp Garlic powder
• 4 tsp dry oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp dry basil
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables and toppings I used (you may add your preferences)

• 1/2 cup green olives with pimento centers 
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green or red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped or 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• nuts of your choice

Instant pot pasta

• Place the water, salt and pasta in the Instant Pot.  Close the lid and put the valve to the Sealing position. 
  

• Press the manual or "Pressure Cook" button and set the time for 1 minute on High Pressure setting for al dente (2 minutes for softer pasta).  
  

• At the  end of cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for five minutes.
  

• Then quick release the steam that is left by putting a towel over the vent as you switch the valve to venting position.
  

• Immediately remove the pasta from the instant pot into a colander and rinse with cold running water. Transfer to a large bowl.

Italian dressing

Add all the ingredients into a bottle with cap and shake till well blended or you can use a blender.


Assembly

Into the bowl of pasta, add the dressing and vegetables except tomatoes and nuts if using and toss.  I made mine the day before which helped the pasta absorb the dressing,  It is not necessary and can be served right a way. Add the tomatoes and nuts before serving.