Tri Color Italian Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad recipe with Italian dressing is perfect for a crowd and for those who do not like tomatoes or olives! We’re using green and red bell peppers, broccoli and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. This recipe is not only quick and easy, but stays nice and crunchy for days!
Yield: 10
Calories: 333kcal
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce package tri color rotini pasta
- 1 16 ounce bottle Italian salad dressing
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 red green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli (can substitute with yellow squash)
- 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp cracked pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Start by cooking the tri color rotini pasta according to the package instructions. Once done, drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down quickly.
- Prep the Veggies: While the pasta is cooking, chop the green and red bell peppers and finely chop the broccoli (or yellow squash if you're using that instead).
- Heat the Broccoli: Now place the broccoli (or squash) into a microwavable bowl, heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. This gently steams the vegetable making it much more flavorful.
- Mix it Up: In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta with the chopped bell peppers and broccoli. Pour in 3/4 of the Italian salad dressing bottle and mix well to ensure everything is coated evenly. Keep the rest of the the salad dressing to mix into the pasta salad before serving.
- Add Cheese and Seasonings: Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the salad. Add the cracked pepper and a pinch of salt to taste. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Chill: Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least an hour before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully.
- Before serving: Mix in the rest of the salad dressing before serving for that added zest.
Notes
Other ingredients you could use to add even more flavor:
- Pepperoni, chopped
- Kalamata olives, chopped
- Grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- A few dashes of cracked red pepper
- Feta cheese, crumbled
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Nutrition
Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 655mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 1mg