Pasta Salad
Perfect for summer grilling, potlucks, or a light lunch, this pasta salad is refreshing and versatile. Packed with colorful vegetables and a tangy dressing, it's a crowd-pleaser that can be customized with your own favorite ingredients.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1 large serving bowl
Ingredients & Supplies
- 1 box (12 oz.) tri-colored rotini pasta
- 1 (8 oz.) block pepperjack cheese
- 1 (8 oz.) block colby jack cheese
- 1 (16 oz.) bottle Italian dressing
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 package mini pepperonis
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop the bell pepper, cucumber, and onion into bite-sized pieces.
- Cut the pepperjack and colby jack cheese into small cubes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chopped vegetables, cheese cubes, and mini pepperonis.
- Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta salad and toss to coat evenly.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- For extra flavor, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving.
Tips & Notes
For the vegetables, chop in a food processor. I use a Ninja food processor to get the pieces of food finely chopped.
Optional extras you can include in the salad are black olives or cherry tomatoes.