Colorful Pasta Salad Recipe

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colorful pasta salad

Colorful Pasta Salad

By: Gigi Howe

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  Am I the only one who feels like this year is racing by?  Not much we can do about that, but I am totally enjoying the warmer weather (and I’m sure I am not alone).

I’m sharing a recipe today for a pasta salad.  I like to make this one every once in a while as a change from the traditional mayo based salads.  What’s nice about this recipe is you can be creative and add more (or less) to the basic recipe.  My recipe just includes vegetables which I shred and slice with my food processor (makes it a lot easier).  I like this recipe because it tastes good and it also looks “pretty” with the different colors of the vegetables.   You can add cheese, ham, beans, pepperoni, more vegetables.. whatever you like.  And you can turn this recipe into a meal.  If you don’t care to make the dressing, you can add any bottled vinaigrette.

Colorful Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

– 1 lb box of pasta – spirals or farfalle work best
–  1 – 1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes – halved
–  2 carrots shredded
– 1 red, orange or yellow pepper cut into thin strips
– 1 cup or 1 can of black olives
– 1/2 small red onion chopped

Dressing:

– 1/2 cup olive oil
– 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
– 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
– 1 teaspoon dried oregano
– 1 minced garlic clove
– salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta as directed, drain and let cool.
2.  Combine prepared vegetables, olives and pasta in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together ingredients for dressing or put through blender.  Pour dressing over pasta and vegetables and mix well.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe:

Colorful Pasta Salad Recipe

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