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+ servings
Bowl of pasta salad with tomatoes, olives, broccoli, carrots and cheese

Easy Pasta Salad

Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
This Easy Pasta Salad recipe is perfect for potlucks and picnics. The recipe is flexible, allowing you to change up the ingredients. You can even make this pasta salad the night before serving. 
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 15 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 12 oz box rotini pasta
  • 1 16 oz bottle Italian salad dressing
  • 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 6 oz can black olives
  • 1 cup sliced or grated carrots
  • 1 pint approximately 10oz container cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in half if desired)
  • 1 cup chopped broccoli florets bite size pieces
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese chunks

Instructions

  • Prepare rotini according to al dente package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  • While rotini is cooking, prepare ingredients by cutting, slicing or chopping as needed.
  • After draining and rinsing pasta with cold water, transfer to a large bowl. Add olives, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper, onion and cheeses. Add salad dressing and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir well to combine.
  • If pasta salad will be served the following day, add an additional 1/4 cup of olive oil just prior to serving and stir to combine. 1/4 cup of salad dressing can be used in it's place if you have an open bottle of salad dressing on hand. This helps compensate for any liquids absorbed overnight by the pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 594mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1710IU | Vitamin C: 23.3mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 0.9mg
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