Perfect Pasta Salad

"This is an absolutely INCREDIBLE recipe. Every time I've made it I've had to double it and it is still gone in nothing flat. People will beg you for the recipe"
 
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photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Cooking Creation photo by Cooking Creation
photo by LEXI8381 photo by LEXI8381
photo by rrkneller photo by rrkneller
photo by Brenda. photo by Brenda.
Ready In:
30mins
Ingredients:
13
Serves:
8-12
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ingredients

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directions

  • Mix together dressing first and set aside until sugar is dissolved completely.
  • Cook pasta according to box directions and rinse under cold water until cool.
  • Slice the sliced pepperoni circles in half and separate slices.
  • Mix together with pasta and chopped items, except the provolone cheese.
  • Pour dressing over it all and mix well.
  • Chill well.
  • Add provolone cheese to salad before serving, otherwise it gets soggy.
  • You may have to add extra red wine vinegar or olive oil to get it to the desired consistency.
  • Some people like it moist, others on the drier side.
  • This is guaranteed not to last long before it is completely devoured!
  • Enjoy!

Questions & Replies

  1. Is there a recommended substitute for pepperoni? Due to health conditions I cannot eat pepperoni. Has anyone tried this recipe without pepperoni?
     
  2. What size box of tri-color pasta? Some are 12 oz., some are 16 oz. Please clarify by weight.
     
  3. Hi. Can I use canned cherry tomatoes instead of fresh diced tomatoes?
     
  4. Is that photo correct? It looks like different ingredients than the recipe calls for. Does not look like tri-colored pasta. I don't see sliced black olives or red onion. Rather I see what looks like a green stuffed pimiento olive (I may be wrong on that) and sliced green onions. Looks delicious though, but can't decide whether to make according to recipe or according to the photo.
     
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Reviews

  1. I would give this 10 plus stars! It is incredible! All the reviews saying how great it was are correct. I was never a big pasta salad fan but this made me change my mind. I will throw out all my other recipes for pasta salad. Go ahead and make the whole amount -it will be gone. I made it yesterday and there are 3 people in my house-my hubby, me and my son and I gave one small container to my friend and it's all but gone. I saved a small container for my self in back of the fridge-he he. My friend is now making it too. No one can stop eating it.I added in roasted red peppers along with the green peppers, grape tomatoes-(love'em) and used mozzarella instead of provolone. I added about a 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan in there too. I had the Pompeian red wine vinegar, but used Sam's Club extra-virgin olive oil. I used 1 tablespoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried basil. I used seasoned salt instead of regular and I grated a garlic clove into the dressing as well. I used the full amount of sugar. The dressing makes this salad perfect! Thanks Mrs. Jaye for the recipe and answering my question!
     
  2. I use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar. Omit the sugar. Chicken instead of the pepperoni. Feta cheese instead of provolone. I add cucumber as well. Any colour peppers I have on hand. More like a greek pasta salad!
     
  3. It is great! I'm on the Rec Committee here for our HOA. Plus I love food and feeding people at a good party. I googled Best Pasta Salad and came upon this recipe. I read all the tweaks and incorporated most. I made two kinds. One gluten free with brown rice/quinoa fusilli and one with tri-color pasta. I highly recommend undercooking the pasta to absorb the dressing so it doesn't get soggy as one of the tips I'm going to recommend is doing it the day before. In fact, if you chop all the vegetables for the dish, you will need the time. No way could this properly be prepared the day of and taste so great. I also recommend a huge bowl to prep in. Need to stir without ingredients flipping out. I went heavy with red, green, and yellow peppers. Try to keep everything equal size fir bites. Artichokes in water were diced and added. I used mozzarella circles soaked in oil (half drained, keep spices- Trader Joe's) Parmigiana cheese (BOTH grated and shredded) Salami quartered slices same size as cut up cheese. Olives are optional. I bought a can of sliced black olives and put them alongside serving dish. For the tomatoes, I quarter heirloom and marinated in extra virgin olive oil with fresh oregano and basil. The base dressing is spot on with the red vibe vinegar, olive oil, and sugar. But upon serving I offered jars of Tuscan Italian dressing and nonfat Balsamic. Just in case anyone wanted to add a little to the top, which I did. For the red onions which were added the day of, I diced and put in bowl of ice. It cuts the harshness of the onion and renders the taste excellently. I had extra so I put in a baggie with ice and use them when I need them for up to two weeks! Everyone loved both versions. People were taking it home and I heard compliments afterwards. Just make sure it's out in a big bowl so it can breathe. And add anything you want. It can handle additions. For a shortcut cheat and red wine vinegar dressing would work. I decorated mine with a long strip cut red pepper and a blossom of basil in the middle.
     
  4. You are right Kelley, this pasta salad is INCREDIBLE!! Beautiful with color and very refreshing taste. The dressing is nice and zesty. Took it to work to share with my co-workers and we all agreed it was worth 5-stars. Thanks.
     
  5. Nice Base, but you've not completed the Veggies. Try adding Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red/Yellow Onions, just to mention a few. And don't limit yourself to ONE Pasta, variety is the spice of life. When it comes to Pasta Salad nothing is out!! Wanna make the Dressing EASY? Just use Kraft Zesty Italian.
     
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Tweaks

  1. Dressing 1/4 olive or grapeseed oil 1/4 c balsamic or red wine vinegar 1 T sugar 1 T fresh oregano, snipped 3/4 t sea salt 1/4 t fresh ground pepper Salad 1 # tri-colored pasta, cooked al-dente 2 bell peppers (any color/combination) 2 c diced roma tomatoes, de-seeded (about 8 large) 1/2 diced large red onion (about 1 c) 1 lb smoked cheese, such as Provolone, Gouda, Edam, 1/2" cubes 1 can (4 oz) sliced black olives Make pasta, rinse in cold water and set to drain well. Prepare remaining ingredients in a bowl. Make dressing. Mix pasta, vegetables and dressing. Best prepared a day in advance.
     
  2. You could make this more of a greek salad with lemon juice and zest, garlic to taste and italian seasoning. A little bit of sugar will tone down the tartness of the lemons.
     
  3. We Cubed the pepperoni & Provolone
     
  4. Not sure if this qualifies as a "tweak," but make this dish AT LEAST 24 hours in advance! I've made two batches now, and the second is getting better with time, beyond doubt I served the first batch just an hour after preparing it, and it was forgettable. Let the flavors meld! It peaks around 48 hours! My other tweaks were: - Using thick-sliced salami, cut into narrow strips, in place of pepperoni - Using fresh perline mozzarella (those little, marble-sized balls of mozz floating in water) in place of provolone - Using halved grape (Cherub) tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes - Adding grated parmesan (indispensable, in my opinion) - Removing the inner membrane from the bell pepper (I learned this from a chef at a culinary class who informed me that uncooked bell peppers have a bit of bitterness if the inner membrane isn't sliced off. You may not notice, but I took the time to do it.)
     
  5. Used less sugar. Added quartered artichoke hearts. Used sliced grape tomatoes. Added touch of celery and broccoli. Used dry Italian seasoning instead of oregano. Used cut fusilli instead of tri-color pasta.
     

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