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italian pasta salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Easy and delicious pasta salad - perfect for Spring! Can easily be made gluten-free for my fellow Celiacs by using your favorite Gluten-Free Pasta (I used Barilla's GF Penne here).

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Gluten-Free, Pasta Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 oz short/tube pata I used Barilla GF penne
  • 10-12 oz Italian Dressing You will need more than you think if you use GF pasta
  • 2 tbsp McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning
  • 1 English Cucumber halved and sliced
  • 1 pint Cherry or Grape Tomatoes halved
  • 1 medium Red Onion diced
  • 4 oz Hard Genoa Salami sliced thinly
  • 4 oz Pepperoni halved
  • 6 oz Mozzarella pearls
  • 12 oz Roasted Red Peppers Sliced

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in boiling/salted water according to package directions; then rinse in cold water. If using GF pasta cook it about a minute longer than you would if you were making a hot pasta dish as rinsing it in cold water can cause it to harden back up a bit.

  2. Once the pasta is rinsed, transfer it to a large bowl and toss with 1/2 of the dressing and Salad Supreme seasoning until the pasta is fully coated.

  3. Add the veggies, meats, and cheese to the bowl. Also add the remaining dressing (or enough to your taste) and toss gently until all ingredients are combined.

  4. Can be served immediately, but is best to refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours prior to eating to allow all flavors to meld together.

Recipe Notes

*If making this with Gluten-free pasta for meal prep - pasta can start to dry out after about 3 days in the refrigerator.  You can bring a little extra dressing with you to help combat this. Regular pasta will hold up well to about 5-6 days in the refrigerator.

 

*Rinsing the pasta will help to cool it down so that you don't melt the cheese or heat up any of the other components.  However, don't rinse it until it's fully cold.  Keeping the pasta slightly warm will help the dressing adhere and absorb into the pasta and will give it the most flavor.  So only rinse briefly to cool slightly/stop the cooking process.