Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad for 20 🥗
Description: This simple, delicious Italian Pasta Salad recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd! With common ingredients and easy prep, it’s ideal for potlucks, barbecues, parties, family reunions, or any gathering where you need a large quantity of salad. Plus, it’s healthy, low in cholesterol, and can be made ahead of time, saving you stress and time in the kitchen!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5 stars based on 10 reviews)
Servings: 20
Calories per serving: 243.3
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes
Ingredients:
| Quantity | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 20 | tri-color spiral pasta |
| 3 | broccoli heads |
| 2 | red bell peppers |
| 8 oz | pepperoni slices |
| 1 1/2 | bottles Italian dressing |
Nutrition per Serving:
- Calories: 243.3
- Fat: 10.3g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7g
- Cholesterol: 13.2mg
- Sodium: 523.5mg
- Carbohydrates: 30.3g
- Fiber: 3.7g
- Sugar: 4.1g
- Protein: 8.8g
Instructions:
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Boil Water: Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
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Season Water: Optionally, add salt to the boiling water for extra flavor.
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Cook Pasta: Add the tri-color spiral pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, typically 10-15 minutes.
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Rinse Pasta: Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down.
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Prepare Broccoli: While the pasta is cooking, rinse the broccoli heads under cold water. Remove the stems and chop the florets into bite-sized pieces.
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Prep Peppers: Rinse the red bell peppers, then halve them. Remove the stem, seeds, and pith. Slice each half lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, then chop crosswise into 1/4-inch dice.
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Slice Pepperoni: Quarter the pepperoni slices by stacking 5-8 slices at a time, then cut them into quarters.
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Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, chopped broccoli, diced red bell peppers, and quartered pepperoni slices.
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Prevent Stickiness: To prevent the pepperoni slices from sticking together, gently roll them between your palms as you add them to the mixing bowl.
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Add Dressing: Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture.
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Toss Salad: Gently toss all the ingredients together until they are evenly coated with the dressing.
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Chill: Cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld together. You can also prepare it the day before serving.
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Serve: Before serving, give the salad a final toss to redistribute the dressing, then transfer it to a serving dish. Enjoy your delicious Italian Pasta Salad with family and friends!
This Italian Pasta Salad is not only tasty and satisfying, but it’s also versatile, allowing you to customize it with your favorite ingredients. Whether you’re serving it as a side dish or a main course, it’s sure to be a hit at any gathering!
