Description
A refreshing and flavorful pasta salad perfect for picnics, parties, or casual family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound rotini or penne pasta
- 16 oz zesty Italian dressing
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 whole cucumber, diced
- 1 whole red bell pepper, diced
- 1 whole green bell pepper, diced
- 1 whole red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 oz black olives, sliced
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 6 oz pepperoni, sliced or diced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: Salami, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil or parsley, banana peppers, feta cheese
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool.
- Chop tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, onions, olives, and cube mozzarella. Slice pepperoni.
- Add the cooled pasta to a large bowl and mix in vegetables, cheese, pepperoni, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the entire bottle of zesty Italian dressing over the mixture and toss well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 240 minutes, preferably overnight. Stir and add more dressing before serving.
Notes
Letting the salad sit overnight allows the flavors to blend together for a tastier dish. Adjust the amount of dressing based on how moist you want the salad to be.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 30mg