INGREDIENTS:

1 pound fusilli pasta (sometimes called corkscrew pasta)
½ cup Sweetwater Valley, Smoked Cheddar, shredded
½ cup Sweetwater Valley, White Cheddar, shredded
1 (10 ounce) Le Gourmet Connection Buffalo or Elk sausage, cubed
2 Tbsp. green olives, halved and pitted
2 Tbsp. roasted red peppers, cut into strips
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. fresh ground pepper

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Sprinkle the cheeses and combine. Set aside to cool.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve on chilled plates.

DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION