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.
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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!