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Nothing is better on a hot summer day than a tasty, cold pasta salad. I love using this dish to encourage my kids to eat fresh veggies they normally snub their nose at. It's also a great way to "eat the rainbow" or introduce new veggies to your own diet.
Deli quality pasta dishes can easily be made at home, allowing you to customize and experiment with different ingredients! This recipe can save you money at the grocery store since the Deli is charging $8+ a lb for pasta at Kroger🥴
My family loves pasta and one of our favorite go-to summer bbq dishes is this italian dressing pasta salad. This side dish can easily be made in under 30 mins. We love to pair our pasta salad with grilled chicken.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes (pasta)
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12+
You can divide the ingredients in half to make a smaller batch. I like to cook large meals and have leftovers instead of cooking every single day around our family's busy schedule!
Ingredients
1 box or rotini pasta
2 bottles of zesty italian dressing
8-12 cups of diced fresh veggies
Step 1: Prepare the pasta
Cook 1 box of rotini pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Strain the pasta and set aside so that it can cool.
Step 2: Prepare the veggies and cheese
Chop your favorite veggies into bite size pieces and combine them in a large bowl.
Cube a block of cheese into bite size pieces and place it inside the fridge to keep it cool.
Add both bottles of italian dressing to the bowl of veggies. Add the pasta and stir well. Refrigerate until the pasta has completely cooled.
Once the pasta has cooled, add your diced cheese and serve!
Watch me make mac & cheese below!
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Substitutions
• We love the combo of bell peppers, green onion, broccoli, snow peas, and cucumbers but you can add any veggies you enjoy.
• Swap out the flour based pasta for gluten free pasta if desired.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!