Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 1 hour, 15 minutes
Pasta salad is one of my favorite summertime meals. The versatility is never ending so it's always new, but always easy. Add a loaf of crusty bread and fresh lemonade or iced tea and you have a terrific beat-the-heat dinner. Making pasta salad is so simple and this formula will help you on your way to being a pasta salad expert.
by Anne Coleman
What you'll need
- 8 oz. uncooked rotini pasta
- 4 cups of a combination of the following:
- diced salami or pepperoni
- diced mozzarella cheese
- diced plum tomato
- halved black olives
- diced green peppers
- cannelini beans
- 2 cups Italian dressing*
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Helpful Tip:
There are some salads that need a bit more or less dressing, but if you do it often enough, you can get a good idea what is needed beforehand.
How to make it
- Cook the pasta until done to desired tenderness and drain well. Al dente is best since soaking in dressing can cause the pasta to become mushy. Cool completely.
- Toss with meat, mozzarella, tomato, olives, peppers, beans and dressing.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese.
- Chill for an hour before serving.
