Easy Summer Pasta Salad
This delicious and colorful pasta salad that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It incorporates vibrant ingredients like cucumber, tomato, shredded cheese, black olives, sliced ham, and a zesty Italian dressing for a flavorful dish that will have you going back for more.
Ingredients
- 1 box rotini pasta
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar or colby jack
- 1/2 cup ham sliced
- 1/2 cup Italian dressing
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Rotini pasta according to the package instructions. Make sure to cook it al dente, since it will continue to soften slightly when combined with the other ingredients. Once cooked, drain and set it aside to cool.
- Prep the Ingredients: While the pasta is cooling, prepare the vegetables. Dice the cucumber into small cubes and halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop the ham into bite sized pieces.
- Combine the Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled Rotini pasta, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, sliced black olives, and sliced ham. Toss the ingredients gently to distribute them evenly throughout the pasta salad.
- Add Flavor with Italian Dressing: Drizzle the Italian dressing over the pasta salad. Start with a small amount and gradually add more according to your taste preference.
- Season and Chill: Add salt and pepper to taste, then let the pasta salad chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Overnight is even better if you have the time!
Notes
You can use plain or tri color rotini for this dish. The tri color version gives it even more color!