Easy & Fresh Italian Pasta Salad
With this Italian pasta salad recipe I’ve thrown in turky ham, different cheeses, cold peas, cucumber, jalenpenos…EVERYTHING! It’s almost impossible to ruin this recipe, not unless you just add in a bunch of weird stuff.
Now normally I don’t eat angel hair pasta…I don’t know..there is just something about the texture that makes my skin crawl. But when it’s served cold and firm, I love it which is why I always use it for my cold spaghetti pasta salads.
You can eat this pasta salad once it’s had a chance to get cold but it is truly at it’s best the next day when the ingredients have had a chance to lounge in all of that yummy Italian dressing goodness.
- 1 lb of angel hair pasta
- 1/2 green pepper (can use more)
- 1/2 red pepper (can use more)
- 1 cup broccoli & cauliflower, diced into tiny pieces
- 1-2 green onions
- 1/2 medium tomato (can use more)
- 1 (16 oz) bottle of Zesty Italian dressing or more if you like it ZEEEESTAAAAY!!! (but I wouldn’t add more until you taste it the next day since the flavors will intensify overnight)
- 1/4 cup of black olives, diced
- Chopped pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni), can also used chopped ham.
- *Optional ingredients: I like to kick this recipe up sometimes by adding in minced garlic, mild cheddar, cold peas or cucumbers. Experiement with it and make it your own!
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cook the angel hair pasta until al dente. This only take a few minutes so watch it carefully. The last thing you want is overcooked noodles.
- Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
- Chop up the green pepper, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, green onion, olives, & pepperoni into tiny minced pieces. You want the pieces to be really tiny.
- Pour the bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing over the cold noodles and toss to coat.
- Add in the chopped ingredients and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate until super cold.
- Serve. Be sure to toss before serving since the dressing and ingredients can settle on the bottom.
Directions
Step 1.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Step 2.) Cook the angel hair pasta until al dente. This only take a few minutes so watch it carefully. The last thing you want is overcooked noodles.
Step 3.) Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
Step 4.) Chop up the green pepper, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, green onion, olives, & pepperroni into tiny minced pieces. You want the pieces to be really tiny.
Step 5.) Pour the bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing over the cold noodles and toss to coat.
Step 6.) Add in the chopped ingredients and toss to combine.
Step 7.) Refrigerate until super cold.
Step 8.) Serve. Be sure to toss before serving since the dressing and ingredients can settle on the bottom.
Made this recipe today for Memorial Day for the first time and it was a major HIT!! You are the best!! **Oh instead of using bacon, I broiled pepperoni slices until they were crisp then chopped them up into the dish. Same great pork flavor but faster than cooking bacon.**
I made pasta salad for the first and last time 2 years ago (not your recipe), and have been tasked with making some for a family reunion in June 2013. I used the mini pepperoni’s. It saves having to chop the whole ones. Everyone liked them. Keep sharing your gift!
All these recipes look amazing! Thank You!
This is mouth watering. I love Italian style recipes..Like how they made their pasta. Thanks for sharing your recipe.