Quick and Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

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I like cold pasta salads however, some can take up so much work.  This one, however, only took me 30 minutes.  It is great for that leftover meat and other ingredients that you want to use but don't know what to do with them.

Here are the ingredients I used to make this one:  Feel free to use whatever is in your pantry to make your own quick and easy pasta salad recipe.

Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

Easy Pasta Salad Ingredients:

4 cups of dried pasta (I used small Fusilli pasta.)
1 cup of red peppers chopped into small pieces
1 cup of cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup of zucchini peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 cup of red kidney beans (rinsed)
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese cubed
⅔ - ¾ cup of favorite salad dressing (I created a Dijon mustard with oregano, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste)

Easy Pasta Salad Instructions:

First, I cooked the pasta coordinating with the recipe.

Then, I drained it and placed the pasta on a cookie sheet to cool off. It worked pretty well. After about 5 minutes, I added the zucchini, then, beans, red pepper, cheddar cheese, and cherry tomatoes.

Then, I mixed them and transferred them to the bowl and used a little of the salad dressing, and tossed it together. I added a little more until it was just wet and not too much dressing coating the pasta. I prefer it not to be extremely wet.

Then, I covered the bowl and placed it in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Then, toss it again and add more dressing if needed.

Enjoy!

What to put in pasta salads?

Since pasta salads are so versatile, you can a variety of things to them. Below are just some items you can add to pasta salads.

• Black olives sliced
• Cucumbers cubed
• Red, yellow, orange, or green bell peppers chopped
• Mushrooms sliced or cubed
• Broccoli florets small

What can you serve with pasta salad?

You can serve pasta salad with many other dishes. Below are some from our website to give you some ideas from our grilling category.

Important tips when making this recipe

Keep in mind that everything should be about the same size.

So, when you cut vegetables, be sure to have them about the same size as the pasta and other vegetables.

Conserve some of the dressing to apply before serving.

If you use up all the dressing, the pasta will most likely absorb it. Toss some of it into the bowl and serving it will make it juicier. It will also add a pop of flavor to the salad.

Don't overcook or undercook the pasta.

Try cooking the pasta exactly as instructed. Many manufacturers like Barilla, take into account that when they determine their temperature, it should be al dente pasta.

Here is the recipe if you want to print it.

Looking for some great pasta bowls, here are some I found on Amazon:

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.