Easy Pasta Salad (Mom's Recipe)
This Pasta Salad is a bite from my childhood. It is overflowing with vegetables and reminds me of springtime and grilling with my parents. It is light enough for a hot day and is bursting with so much flavor.
Servings: 10
Calories: 68kcal
Equipment
- a stock pot or a gumbo pot
- a strainer or colander
- a baking sheet
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- ½ 16 ounce box rotini pasta
- 1 12 ounce box tri-color rotini pasta
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1 12 ounce bag frozen peas
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cup artichoke hearts quartered in water, sliced and diced
- ½ cup black olives sliced (add more if you like them)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 16 ounce bottle Ken's Italian Dressing
Instructions
- Cook pasta as directed on the box. When there are two minutes left in the cooking time, add the broccoli florets and diced carrots to blanch them.½ 16 ounce box rotini pasta, 1 12 ounce box tri-color rotini pasta
- When the pasta is cooked (a little al dente) strain the pasta, broccoli, and carrots - then rinse with cold water.4 cups broccoli florets, 1 large carrot
- Spread the pasta, broccoli, and carrots out on a baking sheet with edges and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss to fully coat the pasta and now leave it to cool. If you are in a time crunch, you can pop it in the refrigerator (10 - 15 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes.)2 tablespoons olive oil
- When the pasta has cooled, add it to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, artichokes, and peas and toss to combine.1 12 ounce bag frozen peas, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 cup artichoke hearts, ½ cup black olives
- Pour ½ cup of dressing over the salad and toss to coat all the pasta lightly.
- Cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Top with remaining dressing right before serving or allow your guests to dress their own.1 16 ounce bottle Ken's Italian Dressing
- Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Yield
This recipe makes 20 cups of pasta salad. If each person eats 1 cup or less, this recipe will easily serve 10 people. If you are anything like our family, it will probably only serve five people.What Goes with Cold Pasta Salad?
Pasta salad is mostly just a starch with a few vegetables mixed in it, so you'll want to serve it with some kind of protein. Hamburgers, sandwiches or wraps, fried chicken tenders, fried shrimp, or hotdogs would all be great options. I have another blog post with tons of options for what to serve with pasta salad.How to Store Leftover Pasta Salad
Store cold pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Preferably only coated with oil and a splash of dressing. For maximum freshness (and minimum sogginess), add the dressing only right before serving.Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1603IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
