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Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe


  • Author: Gianna Ferrini
  • Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb pasta of your choice
  • ½ cucumber, chopped
  • ½ cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
  • ½ cup arugula, chopped
  • ½ cup olives, chopped
  • ½ tomato or ½ cup of chopped cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, chopped
  • ½1 cup mozzarella cheese, diced into cubes OR fresh mozzarella balls OR fresh mozzarella pearls
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • ½ of a chicken breast, breaded and fried (optional)
  • 1 cup red wine vinaigrette dressing or any other zesty Italian salad dressing
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted cold water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente or according to package directions. Once done, toss with olive oil and let chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  2. While the pasta is set aside, begin to chop all of your fresh vegetables, chicken and cheese into small pieces. The finer the chop, the better the taste!
  3. Once pasta is cooled completely, combine everything into a large bowl, along with the homemade zesty Italian dressing and seasoning. Mix well.
  4. Serve this easy pasta salad immediately, right out of the large mixing bowl.
  5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. The best pasta salad typically lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days