We woke up to rain this morning, meaning the remaining ice left on the ground is getting closer to being gone. The temperatures have warmed up in the last day or two and I am not one bit upset about that. It’s interesting how the weather affects our taste in food and determines what we want to cook. After it’s been cold for a while, when I feel warmer temperatures, I want to grill. When I grill, I want all the yummy sides, pasta salad being one of them. There are endless recipes and opportunities for pasta salad. I will share one of my very favorite ways to make it with you all today. This goes great with anything really, but I enjoy it with grilled meat. Ribs, pork loin, steak, chicken wings, and pizza if I’m not cooking on the grill. It gets better the longer it sits in the refrigerator, marrying the flavors so wonderfully. This recipe feeds a large amount of people, so for a lesser crowd, cut the recipe in half. But always remember, measure with your heart and add however much of anything you want.
Ingredients:
1 box Rotini or Bowtie pasta (use any pasta you have on hand. I’ve mixed them before) 1 large green bell pepper, diced 1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved ½ lb. thick cut Salami, sliced ½ lb. pepperoni, sliced 1 small block of Colby Jack cheese, cubed 1 bag of Mozzarella cheese sticks, cut up in bite size pieces (String cheese) 1 small jar of Garlic Stuffed Olives, halved (Mezzetta brand) ½ cup White vinegar 1 cup Olive Garden Italian dressing or Wishbone brand zesty Italian 2 tbsp. Olive oil Course ground black pepper, generous amount Sprinkle of salt to taste Cook the pasta, drain, rinse with cold water and let cool completely. Add all the remaining ingredients, combining by folding it together. You need to let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours before serving, overnight being the best. Before serving, add a little more dressing and fold it well.
Any pasta salad you make is versatile. You can add black olives, red onion, sweet peppers, etc. Make it your own!
ENJOY!
