My Aunt Katherine made a marinated pasta salad similar to this when I was a teenager and my family loved it and it became a staple in our home. I have modified the recipe slightly over the years. I changed to a little fancier looking pasta (used to be spaghetti) and added black olives and grated Italian cheese. It is still one of my favorite summer dishes. Sometimes we use marinated pasta salad as a side dish, other times it is our main course and we just have a big bowl. You have to plan ahead a little because this needs to refrigerate over night to get the maximum flavor, but it is so worth it! (Affiliate) Note: There is one ingredient you may not have in your pantry typically, Accent Flavor Enhancer. You might be tempted to omit it. Don’t! I did that once and the marinated pasta salad was not as flavorful. Also, be sure you let it sit overnight. If you don’t you will taste the difference. It needs to…well…marinate!
Don’t you love how colorful it is?
Marinated Pasta Salad
Marinated Pasta Salad Ingredients
1 lb rotini pasta, cooked and drained, rinsed w/ cool water
1 package dry Italian dressing
1 small bottle Italian dressing
2 Tbsp Accent Flavor Enhancer (found in the spice aisle)
1/2 – 1 head of broccoli, cut into flowerets
1/2 – 1 green pepper, seeds removed and diced
2 Roma tomatoes or 1 large garden tomato, diced
1 small can sliced black olives
1/4 c Italian blend cheese, finely grated
Marinated Pasta Salad Instructions:
Once you have your veggies prepared, place them in the bottom of a large mixing bowl.
Next add the rinsed, drained, cooled rotini pasta. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp Accent and 1 package dry Italian dressing over the pasta and then pour the whole bottle of Italian dressing over it.
Gently mix the ingredients together with a large spoon. Finally, fold in the Italian cheese blend. Refrigerate overnight so that it can marinate, gently stirring periodically. That will help the dressing and seasonings to be spread evenly throughout the pasta salad.
Marinated Pasta Salad
Sometimes we use marinated pasta salad as a side dish, other times it is our main course and we just have a big bowl. You have to plan ahead a little because this needs to refrigerate over night to get the maximum flavor, but it is so worth it!
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta, cooked and drained, rinsed w/ cool water
- 1 package dry Italian dressing
- 1 small bottle Italian dressing
- 2 Tbsp Accent Flavor Enhancer (found in the spice aisle)
- 1/2 – 1 head of broccoli, cut into flowerets
- 1/2 – 1 green pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes or 1 large garden tomato, diced
- 1 small can sliced black olives
- 1/4 c Italian blend cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Once you have your veggies prepared, place them in the bottom of a large mixing bowl.
- Next add the rinsed, drained, cooled rotini pasta. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp Accent and 1 package dry Italian dressing over the pasta and then pour the whole bottle of Italian dressing over it.
- Gently mix the ingredients together with a large spoon.
- Fold in the Italian cheese blend.
- Refrigerate overnight so that it can marinate, gently stirring periodically. That will help the dressing and seasonings to be spread evenly throughout the pasta salad.
Notes
Serve cold.
Nutrition Information
Yield 15 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 75Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 2mgSodium 47mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 3g
This is an estimate.
I hope you enjoy this delicious marinated pasta salad as much as I do!
See you next time!
Deb
P.S. If you love pasta salads, you will definitely want to check out my BLT Summer Salad!
