Enjoy this quick salad in less than 30 minutes.
Personalized Pasta Salad
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked pasta, such as macaroni or rotini
½ cup salad dressing
2 cups cooked, cubed protein (see Notes)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium bell pepper (any color), cut in 1-inch pieces
½ medium red onion, diced
1 can (4 ounces) sliced black olives
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- Measure 6 cups of water into a large sauce pan.
- Bring water to a boil over high heat and add pasta. Cook until tender (about 8 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly. Drain well.
- Add dressing to pasta and toss lightly.
- Add protein and vegetables and toss again.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Try cooked beans, tofu, chicken, beef, pork, tuna, salmon, turkey, shrimp, or hard-boiled egg for the chicken.
- Try Food Hero's Red Wine Vinaigrette for your salad dressing.
You might also like...
Cowboy Salad
Cowboy Salad
A simple, tasty salad that is ready in under 20 minutes. Perfect for BBQs, potluck dinners or as a side dish any time of year.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Makes:
8 cups
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
4 Cups
Baked Tortilla Chips
Baked Tortilla Chips
Simple homemade tortilla chips. Great recipe to get the kids cooking!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
10 minutes
Makes:
16 Chips
Barley Lentil Soup
Barley Lentil Soup
One-pot hearty lentil soup that’s packed with veggies, herbs and grains!
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
1 and ½ hours
Makes:
10 cups
Mexican Adobo Sauce
Mexican Adobo Sauce
Mexican adobo sauce is an all-purpose marinade made of dried hot peppers, spices and vinegar. This sauce gives big flavor to a wide variety of dishes. Thanks to the OSU Latin Heritage Work Group for this tasty recipe.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
25 minutes
Makes:
2 ½ cups
Refrigerator Pickled Cucumbers
Refrigerator Pickled Cucumbers
Make your own crispy pickles at home with this simple recipe.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Makes:
1 pint
Comments
I thought this would be a great summer lunch recipe. I personalized it a little more and added canned artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, and green onions. I used a balsamic vinegarette dressing and topped it with a little more balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper for added flavor. I used store-bought rotisserie chicken, which made this a quick and easy recipe. So flavorful, simple, and quick!
I used this recipe at an after school program and I had the kids choose their own add ins to the pasta so it was truly personalized. They loved it!