This past weekend for Memorial Day, I made what I consider to be the best pasta salad recipe EVER.
Pasta salad is a staple during spring and summer for holidays cookouts, family gatherings, and picnics, so having a go-to recipe on hand is essential.
This recipe is so easy to make and you can easily add any additional ingredients you want to spice up the salad to make it your own.
The key ingredient that makes this salad so easy to make is the Olive Garden Signature Italian Salad Dressing. I bought a two-pack of the dressing at Sam’s Club, but you can buy it at most every grocery store including Target and Walmart.
Since I’m pregnant, I left out any deli meats, but I would normally add pepperoni and salami chunks to my salad for that extra yumminess.
You can also add kalamata olives and onions to keep the salad on the more traditional side. We’re not onion fans at our house, so I always skip adding raw onions to my recipes.
I forgot to pick up olives for this round, but they add a nice extra burst of flavor for summertime salads.
The Best Pasta Salad Recipe
Best Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box Elbow Macaroni cooked and cooled
- 1 16 oz bottle Olive Garden Signature Italian Salad Dressing
- 5 Mini Cucumbers diced
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup Pepperonicini Peppers diced
- 2 Tbsp Pepperonicini Pepper Juice from jar
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese cubed
Seasonings
- Sea Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- Onion Powder to taste
- Garlic Powder to taste
- Paprika to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta to box directions. Drain and cool.
- Combine cooled pasta with cheese, veggies, and salad dressing.
- Mix well until evenly coated with dressing.
- Top with seasoning and adjust to taste.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I love serving this in a pretty white bowl for parties.
When stored properly in your refrigerator, this salad only gets more flavorful as the dressing soaks into the ingredients.
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