Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
Pasta noodles, bejewelled with tomatoes and bell peppers, then loaded with diced mozzarella – so good! Use your fave Italian dressing to bring this all together for a super easy side dish, appetizer or even a main. Great for game day, BBQ’s and much more! Looking for more pasta recipes? Why not also try my Italian Stuffed Shells with Meat and Cheese and my Creamy White Chicken Lasagna. Colorful and fresh veggies, tossed with pasta, cheese and Italian dressing – this delicious dish packs a nutritious punch.
How to Make Tricolor Pasta Salad
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Serving Suggestions
This hearty pasta salad makes for a great side or even main dish. Here are some favorite mains you can serve it with:
Crockpot Hawaiian Ribs Oven Fried Chicken Breast Baked BBQ Chicken Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
Never fret about an easy side dish again! Fresh, hearty and so tasty – it’s one of the easiest pasta salads you can make!
More Salad Recipes We Love
Chopped Caprese Salad Tortellini Pasta Salad BLT Pasta Salad Zesty Panzanella Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad
This Tri Color Pasta Salad is my go to for BBQ’s, game days, family gatherings and pretty much any time I need to quickly whip up something satisfying and delicious! Fresh veggies, cheese, and noodles – anointed with your favorite zesty Italian dressing – it’ll please vegetarians and omnivores – so good!
Dry? Pasta is starchy and easily absorbs liquids. While it’s beneficial for the flavor to toss the pasta in the dressing while it’s still warm, using ⅔ of the dressing for this is best, as if too much is absorbed, the pasta will end up dry. Toss the cooled pasta salad with the remaining ⅓ of the dressing just before serving. Mushy? While it’s important to cook the pasta a bit longer in order to keep it soft, cooking pasta for too long will lead to mushy pasta that falls apart when tossed with the dressing. Be sure to cook the pasta salad only 1 minute longer than the directions on the box. Tasteless? Start seasoning early and often. Boil the pasta in generously salted water and taste as you go to make sure the pasta isn’t being over or under seasoned.
More Italian Side Dishes to Try:
Oven Baked Risotto Roasted Tomatoes with Balsamic Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Parmesan Caprese Farro Salad Cacio E Pepe Roasted Potatoes White Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic
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