Super Simple Pasta Salad

I love making my pasta salad, it's an easy dish to make for parties or just a quick lunch.  This is one of Corbyn's favorite things to take to school for lunch too.  Today I'm sharing this super simple recipe, you'll love how easy it is and how good it tastes.  I always get compliments from friends when I've made it, so I know it's not just me that thinks it is good.  

Grocery List:

-  1 Box Pasta 

{We usually use Barilla, and I either go with a bow tie or rotini pasta.  

But you can choose any shape you like.}

-  Shredded or Matchstick Carrots

-  Cucumber

-  Bell Peppers

-  Black Olives

-  Red Onion

-  Mozzarella Cheese or Monterrey Jack Cheese

-  Your choice of Italian style salad dressing

Start by cooking your pasta in salted water.  Cook until it's al dente.  While the pasta is cooking you will want to prepare the rest of your ingredients if you haven't already.  Pasta salad is really a blank canvas for any veggie's, so use what you have and what you like.  This is how we like to eat it, but sometimes I will throw grape tomatoes or broccoli in the mix.  I have no measurements for the ingredients since it's to your liking...so if you love the veggie's load up...and if you don't then you can go easy.  I suggest you load up cause it's good!

Finely slice your bell peppers, I prefer red - yellow - and orange bell peppers.  We often buy bags of mini sweet bell peppers to snack on and those make perfect little rings for pasta salad.  You will also finely sliced your red onion.  Throw them in the mixing bowl.

Give your cucumber a large dice, then toss in the bowl.  Next slice up your black olives and toss those in the bowl too.  Now your ready for the mozzarella cheese, you can buy whatever your heart desires in the form of cheese here.  I prefer a white cheese like mozzarella or monterrey jack.  Just depends on what I have on hand at the time.  I typically end up using string cheese, just dice it up and your good to go!

Once all the veggie's and cheese is in the bowl toss in your pasta.  Now add your favorite italian style salad dressing, for today's recipe I chose Wishbones Romano Basil Vinaigrette.  I love vinaigrette's that have the basil in them, this was a great choice for the pasta salad.  Start with almost half the bottle of dressing, toss your salad well and taste.  If you think it needs more dressing be my guest, half the bottle was more than enough for mine.  Save the extra dressing so that in case you have left over pasta salad you can add more dressing, sometimes it absorbs the dressing when it sits overnight.

I hope you enjoy this super simple pasta salad!

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