Italian Garden Pasta Salad, tri-color pasta, garden vegetables, mozzarella cheese, and mini pepperonis toss in an Italian Dressing. Perfect salad for potlucks, picnics, and any gatherings that don't have refrigeration.
Do you every start a dish with the main ingredient and build on it? Well, this is what my daughter did with this delicious Italian Garden Pasta Salad.
She bought this huge bag of tri-color pasta at Sam's and new she was going to make a pasta salad.
When she started, it was going to be a few vegetables like the tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and cucumbers, but she had some pepperoni and mozzarella cheese leftover from making pizza so she decided to throw them in also.
Really, now you can consider this salad to be a main dish if you like. And if you've noticed, she didn't serve it in a glamours dish of sorts.
When I took the picture, she said, "there is a story behind this bowl". I knew what she meant.
When she was growing up, I had a bowl just like that one except it was green. You may have one too--remember the Tupperware Parties?
She remembers me mixing bread dough, potato salad, my trash mix, etc. In other words, this was the bowl I used a lot.
It made more than a few trips to family gatherings and church potlucks.
She bought this huge bag of tri-color pasta at Sam's and new she was going to make a pasta salad.
When she started, it was going to be a few vegetables like the tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and cucumbers, but she had some pepperoni and mozzarella cheese leftover from making pizza so she decided to throw them in also.
Really, now you can consider this salad to be a main dish if you like. And if you've noticed, she didn't serve it in a glamours dish of sorts.
When I took the picture, she said, "there is a story behind this bowl". I knew what she meant.
When she was growing up, I had a bowl just like that one except it was green. You may have one too--remember the Tupperware Parties?
She remembers me mixing bread dough, potato salad, my trash mix, etc. In other words, this was the bowl I used a lot.
It made more than a few trips to family gatherings and church potlucks.
Italian Garden Pasta Salad
- 3 cups Garden Rotini (tri-color pasta)
- 1 cup seedless cucumbers, sliced and cut in half
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 cup orange bell pepper
- 1 cup pepperoni, cut into fourths (or mini pepperoni)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 8 oz. bottle of your favorite Italian Dressing
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix cucumbers, tomato, and bell peppers in a large bowl. Add pasta and toss together; put in the refrigerator until serving.
Add the pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and salad dressing. Toss together well and serve.
Cook's Note: There are no rules to this salad. If you would like less or more of any ingredients, you can go for it. I will add black olives to mine next time and you feel free to add your own favorite ingredients too.
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