I always thought most people knew this simple pasta salad — but apparently I was wrong!
I took this to a memorial day get-together, because I was super-busy and didn’t have time to make anything fancy or anything that took a lot of prep.
You can add a lot of veggies to this — I just added what I had (and like). I’ll list some other common options below.
Easy Pasta Salad
(No idea of the true origin — I’ve been making it since I was a wee one!)
1 16-oz. box pasta (any shape, size, whatever. you can even use regular spaghetti)
1 16-oz. bottle of italian dressing (again, regular, zesty, fancy, whatever you want)
1/2 lb. salami, cubed into bite-sized pieces (you can also use pepperoni)
1/2 lb. provolone cheese, cubed into bite-sized pieces (I’ve never used any other type of cheese, but hey — go crazy)
1 tsp-1 tbsp (depending on preference) of italian seasoning (optional)
2 regular-sized tomatoes, seeded and diced (I used 4 Roma tomatoes — however much you want)
1 seedless cucumber, diced small
(**You can also add broccoli, peppers, olives, really ANYTHING you like to eat raw!**)
Directions
– Cook the pasta according to instructions
– Drain and cool pasta
– Mix pasta and veggies, meat, and cheese in a large bowl
– Pour italian dressing over it, and mix well
This pasta salad, like many, is better the longer it sits. So make sure you prep it a few hours in advance of eating it for optimal flavor — it really doesn’t taste like ANYTHING when you first mix it!
