I made this recipe for the first time about four months ago for a large family function. I started with The Olive Garden dressing, but have since switched to Kraft Italian Pesto Dressing & Marinade. I consistently have requests to bring my pasta salad to parties. As always- you'll have to experiment to find the quantities and combinations that work best for you.Italian Pesto Pasta Salad
Prep time 1 hour
Serves A Lot
Ingredients
1 bag of your favorite pasta (I recommend the Garofalo brand available at Costco) in Fusilli, Radiatori, or Penne shapes. (You could also use macaroni or bow ties, but I recommend the other shapes.) If you're making a small quantity you will obviously want to only use a portion of the pasta instead.
1 English cucumber (I recommend English cucumbers because you don't have to peel them, they taste superior, and they are prettier)
2-4 roma tomatoes
1/2-1 whole red/purple onion
1-2 cans whole, black olives
1 package pepperoni (you could use bacon instead, or no meat at all)
1/2-1 whole bottle Kraft Italian Pesto Dressing & Marinade
1/2-3/4 cup freshly grated hard cheese (I recommend Parmeseano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romano. They are all available in the Kirkland brand at Costco for very reasonable prices. The great thing is that they stay good for months, so it's fine to have a large quantity on hand.)
Directions
Fill a very large pot with cold water. Add 2 Tbsp salt. (I know it sounds like a lot of salt, but in an Italian cooking class I just finished taking we were taught to add quite a bit of salt to the water when boiling pasta. It really does make the pasta taste better and requires you to use less salt in the rest of the recipe, therefore making it healthier.) Bring to a boil and then add the pasta. Cook until el dente. While the pasta is boiling, chop the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion into very small pieces. I recommend cutting the cucumber and tomatoes in half and then, using a spoon, remove the seeds. This will make the salad keep longer and it doesn't become "slimy." Often dishes with cucumbers and tomatoes look and feel "slimy" because the seeds are left in. After removing the seeds, continue to cut the vegetables into very small chunks. I like to put the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large glass bowl and sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on them. Cut the pepperoni into quarters (You may not use the entire package. I often only use half.) and add the pepperoni to the cucumbers and tomatoes. Cut the onion into very small pieces and add it to the other items. Add the olives. Grate the cheese. By now the pasta should be done. Drain it and let it cool completely. You could prepare the pasta one or two days in advance if desired. Once it is completely cooled you may add it to the mixture. Add the grated cheese. If the pasta is not cooled the cheese will melt, and you don't want that. Mix everything together and then slowly add the Italian Pesto Dressing until it "looks" and tastes right. It's really a personal preference how much dressing you add. I recommend keeping it in a glass bowl as plastic and metal can change the taste of a dish. You can refrigerate it for several hours before serving, or serve immediately. The salad will keep for several days, if refrigerated, as long as you've removed the seeds from the cucumber and tomatoes.
On a side note, I also like to take red leaf or romaine lettuce and "fill" several pieces with the pasta salad and then wrap it up like chinese lettuce wraps and eat it. That just helps me get an extra serving of vegetables in :) If I'm just making it for myself, I'll double the cucumber and tomatoes in the recipe to help me get extra vegetable servings. Also, be creative! I've added marinated artichoke hearts and green, red, yellow, and orange peppers in the past with great success. Have fun and enjoy!
Directions
Fill a very large pot with cold water. Add 2 Tbsp salt. (I know it sounds like a lot of salt, but in an Italian cooking class I just finished taking we were taught to add quite a bit of salt to the water when boiling pasta. It really does make the pasta taste better and requires you to use less salt in the rest of the recipe, therefore making it healthier.) Bring to a boil and then add the pasta. Cook until el dente. While the pasta is boiling, chop the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion into very small pieces. I recommend cutting the cucumber and tomatoes in half and then, using a spoon, remove the seeds. This will make the salad keep longer and it doesn't become "slimy." Often dishes with cucumbers and tomatoes look and feel "slimy" because the seeds are left in. After removing the seeds, continue to cut the vegetables into very small chunks. I like to put the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large glass bowl and sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on them. Cut the pepperoni into quarters (You may not use the entire package. I often only use half.) and add the pepperoni to the cucumbers and tomatoes. Cut the onion into very small pieces and add it to the other items. Add the olives. Grate the cheese. By now the pasta should be done. Drain it and let it cool completely. You could prepare the pasta one or two days in advance if desired. Once it is completely cooled you may add it to the mixture. Add the grated cheese. If the pasta is not cooled the cheese will melt, and you don't want that. Mix everything together and then slowly add the Italian Pesto Dressing until it "looks" and tastes right. It's really a personal preference how much dressing you add. I recommend keeping it in a glass bowl as plastic and metal can change the taste of a dish. You can refrigerate it for several hours before serving, or serve immediately. The salad will keep for several days, if refrigerated, as long as you've removed the seeds from the cucumber and tomatoes.
On a side note, I also like to take red leaf or romaine lettuce and "fill" several pieces with the pasta salad and then wrap it up like chinese lettuce wraps and eat it. That just helps me get an extra serving of vegetables in :) If I'm just making it for myself, I'll double the cucumber and tomatoes in the recipe to help me get extra vegetable servings. Also, be creative! I've added marinated artichoke hearts and green, red, yellow, and orange peppers in the past with great success. Have fun and enjoy!
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