Party Pasta Salad

An easy, family-friendly (and kid-friendly) side dish that pairs well with almost any lunch or dinner! Great as a summer picnic or potluck side!



PARTY PASTA SALAD


Cook time (pasta only): 8 min. Prep time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

1 - 16 oz. box of rotini pasta, uncooked
1 - 3.5 oz. package of sliced pepperoni
1 - 8 oz. block of marbled cheddar cheese

1 medium orange bell pepper

1 bunch green onions

2/3 cup prepared Italian salad dressing

 

Directions:

 

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse.

 

Reserve 12 whole pepperoni slices for garnish later. Cut remaining pepperoni slices into quarters and place into a large serving bowl.

 

Cut block of cheese into 1/2 inch slices and then cut cheese slices into 1/2 inch (bite-sized) cubes. Add diced cheese to bowl with pepperoni.

 

Wash bell pepper and remove stem, core, and seeds. Cut pepper into 1/2 inch strips and then dice pepper strips into 1/2 inch (bite-sized) pieces. Add diced bell pepper to bowl with pepperoni and cheese.

 

Reserve 2-3 green onions to be used for garnish later. After removing ends and approx. 2-3 inches of green onion tops, slice green onions thinly and add sliced green onions to bowl with pepperoni, cheese, and bell pepper.

 

Add well-drained pasta to the bowl with pepperoni, cheese, bell pepper, and green onions. Using a scraper, toss ingredients to combine. Drizzle with approximately 1/2 cup of the Italian dressing and toss well to combine.

 

To garnish, slice the remaining green onions (after removing ends and approx. 2-3 inches of green onion tops) and sprinkle evenly over top of pasta salad. Drizzle remaining Italian dressing over salad; DO NOT MIX. Arrange reserved pepperoni slices around edge of bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate a minimum of 2-3 hours (salad is even better when prepared a day in advance).

 

Lightly toss salad before serving and enjoy! (NOTE: Salad will have absorbed most of the dressing while resting in the refrigerator. If you like a moister pasta salad, simply drizzle 1-2 additional tablespoons of Italian dressing over the salad before tossing and serving.)