This is a tasty, easy, Italian-American pasta salad recipe. The spiral shaped pasta holds the flavor of the dressing in all those little rings. The dressing used is loaded with zesty flavor that mixes perfectly with the vegetables.
Sure to be a hit with any meal, this pasta salad is expecially perfect for picnics and barbecues.
Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Salad Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rotini pasta, drained (about 1 cup uncooked)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup cubed provolone cheese
1 carrot, cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced pitted black olives
1/4 pound salami, chopped
Dressing Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 to 4 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, or to taste
Directions:
1. Combine pasta, red pepper, green pepper, cheese, carrot, onion, olives and salami in a large bowl.
2. Thoroughly mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, mustard and basil in a small bowl.
3. Pour dressing mixture over pasta. Toss to coat.
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
What to Serve This Pasta Salad With
While this pasta salad works fine on its own as a lunch or quick dinner, we recommend serving it as a side dish! This salad is easy and quick to put together, meaning that the bulk of your time can be spent preparing a main course. Since this salad is perfect for summer, a lot of our suggestions are going to be for summer meals. But, you can definitely make this pasta salad recipe in the colder months if you want!
Pairing this pasta salad with a classic hot dog and hamburger is the way to go. The zesty and tangy flavors of this salad will contrast nicely with the subtler flavors of a hamburger or hot dog. Or, you can throw some spicy mustard on a hot dog for a flavor that more closely matches what this pasta salad has on offer.
Sausage sandwiches are another great choice for this pasta salad. Sausage tends to be more flavorful than a burger or hot dog, so this choice will really create a meal that's intensely flavored. Another great choice is barbecue chicken or pork. This meal can be served on its own, or you can shred the meat and throw it on sandwiches. Either way, the sweet flavors of a good barbecue sauce will pleasantly contrast the tanginess of this pasta salad.
After enjoying this awesome pasta salad recipe, make sure you check out our other great recipes. We've got hundreds for you to peruse, all focusing on different types of food. Whether you're looking for dessert, lunch, dinner, or anything in between, we've got you covered.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Oxana Denezhkina/Shutterstock.com.