Easy Pasta Salad

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound rotini pasta
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced small
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced small
• 1 cup cucumber, seeds removed and diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers, optional
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls, chopped
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 bottle Olive Garden Italian Dressing
• Salt and pepper, to taste

👩‍🍳 Directions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Season the cooled pasta with a little salt.

2. 2

   While the pasta cooks, prepare all of your vegetables.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, start with the vegetables. Add the bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, pepperoncini, olives, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and give it a quick taste. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

4. 4

   Add the cooled pasta and stir to combine.

5. 5

   Add about 3/4 of the bottle of Italian dressing and the Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

6. 6

   Taste and add more dressing, Parmesan, salt, pepper, or veggies until you have it exactly how you like it.

7. 7

   Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

💡 Tips for Success

• Make it your own: This recipe is a guide! Add more or less of any of the vegetables, cheese, or olives based on what you like.
• Don't skip the bottled dressing: The Italian dressing is what brings all of these ingredients together, so don't skip it!
• Let it chill: While you can serve it right away, letting the pasta salad chill for at least 30 minutes gives the flavors time to come together.
• Add more dressing later: Pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it sits. If you're making this ahead of time, you may want to add a little more dressing before serving.