Description
A vibrant and refreshing Tricolor Pasta Salad that combines cooked tri-color pasta with fresh vegetables, mozzarella cheese, and Italian dressing for a delicious and easy-to-make dish perfect for parties or a light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 16 oz. tricolor pasta (penne, farfalle, fusilli, cavatappi, or rotini), cooked according to package instructions
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Dressing
- 16 oz. Italian dressing (1 bottle)
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Place the cooked and cooled tricolor pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced mozzarella cheese, diced red and green bell peppers, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and Italian dressing into a large mixing bowl.
- Toss Salad: Toss all ingredients thoroughly until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated with the Italian dressing and the flavors are well combined.
- Chill Salad: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad for at least one hour to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill properly before serving.
- Serve: After chilling, stir the salad once more, serve cold, and enjoy this colorful and flavorful pasta salad.
Notes
- Use gluten-free pasta to adapt for gluten-free diets.
- For added protein, consider mixing in grilled chicken or chickpeas.
- To reduce calories, use a light Italian dressing or less dressing according to taste.
- Prepare the pasta salad a day ahead for even better flavor.
- Make sure pasta is fully cooled before mixing to prevent sogginess.
