Easy Pasta Salad

    We love a good pasta salad in our house. I've shared with you my Greek Pasta Salad recipe , but sometimes, you just really want a traditional, Italian salad dressing pasta salad. You know what I mean? 

    Pasta salad is one of my favorites because like many of the recipes I've been sharing lately, it is quick and versatile. You can throw in whatever you have, and you'll have a great meal that is ready to eat in 20 minutes (or 40 if you want to chill it. Up to you). This can be eaten as a side, but with the combination of meat and chickpeas, I find it filling enough for a meal. We ate this for dinner last night, but it would also be a great meal-prepped lunch.

    Remember, if you're making any of these recipes, be sure to snap a picture and tag me! Instagram- @lifewithsarahdavis Facebook- @SarahElizabeth

Author: Sarah Davis

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chill Time: 20-30 minutes

Servings: 4

Keywords: Pasta Salad, Easy, Fast, Side, Lunch, Dinner, Quick, Simple

Ingredients:

• half of any color bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• half of a red onion, sliced thin
• handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• handful (or a few slices) of your favorite Italian deli meat, pepperoni, salami, spicy salami, etc. (we used spicy salami) 
• 5-6 kalamata olives, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup cheese cubes (we used garden herb cheese from Aldi) 
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup Italian dressing
• 2 cups dry pasta, cooked and cooled (I used elbows)
• salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Instructions:

1. Begin to cook your pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside. When cooking pasta for pasta salad, I set the pasta in the sink to cool and mix 1 cup of ice in to help it cool faster.

2. Slice bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and olives. Cut cheese (haha) and your choice of meat if necessary. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.

My favorite part! All the colors together is always so pretty!

3. Ensure that your pasta is cool, then add to bowl. Pour Italian dressing over pasta. Mix everything together well. Taste and add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your liking.

4. If you have time and you're not completely starving, let your pasta salad chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving. It gets better as it sits, but if you're usually starving and dying of hunger before you start cooking, like me, it's fine to eat as it is!

The finished product!

Notes:

1. Feel free to use whatever pasta and produce you have at home! There really isn't a wrong combination of ingredients here, use what you like.