Potluck Party Pasta Salad

Potluck Party Pasta Salad

This Potluck Party Pasta Salad is sure to be a hit at all your gatherings. Made with very simple and accessible ingredients. Such as: grape tomatoes, red onion, provolone cheese and some cucumbers and bell peppers. The secret ingredient in this recipe is that the dressing is made with two packs of Good Seasons, Italian Dressing. I make the Good Seasons slightly different then the package directions which I cover in the full and printable recipe below. All of these ingredients combined, make a crave worthy pasta salad that everyone is going to DEMAND you make.

Good Seasons, A Classic

This Good Seasons Salad Dressing Mix has been around since the beginning of time. If you remember , it used to come with its own mini carafe, so you could make it perfectly. I like that it has a slightly different taste than your other Italian dressing mixes. I like to use white balsamic to make this dressing as well as a couple of tablespoons of mayo.

Full, Printable Recipe

Yield: Approximately 15 Servings

Potluck Party Pasta Salad

Print

This classic pasta salad has no fancy ingredients, just simple things you can find in any local grocery store. Tangy Italian dressing, provolone cheese, tomato, onions, cucumbers and peppers paired with mini pasta shells make every bite crave-able. This Potluck party pasta salad is going to be the hit of every gathering.

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce box of mini pasta shells
• 1 medium red onion, diced small
• 1 red bell pepper diced small
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced small
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 seedless cucumber, diced into a small dice
• 1/2 lb of provolone cheese, diced small
• 2 0.7 ounce pouches of Good Seasons Italian Dressing *plus the water, vinegar and oil it calls for on the package of dressing x 2.
• 2 tablespoons of mayo

Instructions

1. Dice all your cheese and vegetables into small, bite sized, bites.
2. Make the Good Seasons Italian Dressing in a bowl , be sure to double the vinegar, oil and water it calls for on the packet since you are making two. I use a white balsamic vinegar for this dressing to add a layer of flavor. When the dressing is mixed, whisk in the 2 tablespoons of mayo. Set aside.
3. Cook your pasta until it is al dente. Cook it slightly underdone, because it will be in with the dressing and will continue to soften. So when you're boiling your mini shells, if they taste like they could just use a minute or two, that is the time to take them out, drain them and rinse them in cold water. *side note* YES you rinse pasta when you are using it for a pasta salad. This removes the flour that will make the dressing gloppy and helps the pasta from sticking together in a cold salad.
4. Add the pasta to a casserole dish, making it in this helps all the dressing and veggies to not sink to the bottom.
5. Toss in the veggies and the cheese. Toss well so it is really mixed up.
6. Pour over the dressing. Toss well to coat. Cover and put in fridge minimum 4 hours before serving. Can store in fridge overnight and up to 3 days. Give it a good mix before serving.

Bite Sized Is Key

As you will read in the directions, you dice everything into small bits. Since we are using the mini shells, it is important for a pasta salad to have consistent size bites throughout. That is why it is important to take the time to cut everything smaller. This makes for the perfect bite.

The Controversy Of Pasta

People lose their minds when I say to rinse pasta for pasta salad. It is an important step. You rinse off the extra starch so your dressing is not gummy. This also helps the pasta not absorb the dressing, without getting soggy and falling apart. This is why it is also important not to over cook the pasta and make it al dente. The pasta will continue to get slightly more sot as it sits in the dressing.

BLT Pasta Salad, Another Hit

If you love pasta salads, one of my most popular recipes is for this BLT PASTA salad pictured above. It is also always a hit at every party I bring it to.