When the temperatures start to heat up, there is one dish we always reach for pasta salad. Cool, flavorful, and light yet filling, pasta salad is a summertime staple for a reason! Looking for the ultimate pasta salad to make at home or carry to your next barbeque? Check out this delicious and easy recipe for All-Occasion Pasta Salad, which is perfect for – you guessed it – any occasion you can think of.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• ¾ cup Italian dressing
• 8 ounces dried short pasta, such as rotini
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 small English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 ounces mini mozzarella balls, drained and halved
• 4 ounces salami slices, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, combine finely chopped red onion and Italian dressing. Set aside to soften the onions while you prepare the rest of the salad.
2. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente — soft with just a bit of chew — about 8 minutes or according to package directions. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
3. Drain the pasta in a colander and run under cold water. Dunk the colander in the ice bath and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the pasta well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, salami, olives, and parsley.
5. Add the dressing, including the onions, to the pasta and toss until evenly combined.
6. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld before serving.
Preparing the perfect meal for your family can be a challenge—to say the least. With delightful recipe suggestions from Oxford at Country Club Apartments in Baytown, Texas, you all are sure to eat well every day of the week!