June 30, 2020

Pasta Salad With Zesty Italian Dressing

Everyone loves this Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Dressing recipe. The sweet flavor of the peppers and onions along with the zesty Italian dressing is sure to be a combination everyone loves. The cheese and hard salami give this dish a different flavor. This pasta salad is sure to be the hit at any party and will beat any boxed pasta salad. It’s great for any BBQ or pot luck at work because it can be thrown together in no time.

It’s easily adapted to include your favorite pasta, vegetables, cheese and cooked meats. This is my version of a cook-out, picnic or potluck classic!

Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Dressing

1 box Bow Tie Noodles (You can use any noodles you desire. )
25 pieces Hard Salami sliced
1 cup Sweet Peppers
½ cup Sweet Onion
½ 8oz block Colby Jack Cheese (You can substitue with any cheese you desire.)
2 cups Zesty Italian Dressing
Pepper (Add desired amount of pepper.)

In a medium pot bring water to a boil and cook bow tie noodles according to the directions on the box.
While your noodles are cooking dice 1 cup hard salami, 1 cup of colby jack cheese, 1 cup of sweet peppers and 1/2 cup of sweet onion. Step them to the side.
When you r noodles are fully cooked drain and rinse with cold water. Pour them into a large serving bowl and add your other ingredients. Mix in your 2 cups of Zesty Italian Dressing and add pepper to taste.
Cover and refridgerate until you are ready to serve.

Did You Know

Although many people think of pasta as culturally Italian food, it is likely the descendant of the ancient Asian noodle. A common belief about pasta is that it was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo during the 13th century. In his book, “The Travels of Marco Polo,” there is a passage that briefly mentions his introduction to a plant that produced flour (possibly a breadfruit tree). The Chinese used this plant to create a meal similar to barley flour. The barley-like meal Polo mentioned was used to make several pasta-like dishes, including one described as Lagana (lasagna). Since Polo’s original text no longer exists, the book relies heavily on the retelling by a verity of authors and experts. This, combined with the fact that pasta was already gaining popularity in other areas of Italy during the 13th century, makes it very unlikely that Marco Polo was the first to introduce pasta to Italy.