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Easy Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Classic Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. whole wheat or high fiber pasta
  • 1 red and 1 yellow pepper diced
  • 4 oz. cheddar or Colby jack cheese cubed
  • half a bag of turkey or regular pepperoni quartered
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

  1. Boil pasta to al dente. Don't overcook because pasta will soften as it sits in the fridge.
  2. Set pasta aside until it cools. Add a little bit of oil to the noodles so that they don't stick while you are waiting for it to cool.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, combine peppers, cheese, and pepperoni. When noodles are cool, add them to the bowl and then mix to combine.
  4. In a separate bowl whisk together the two oils, two vinegars, and the seasonings. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. Add dressing to the noodle mixture and mix well to coat.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. If serving the next day, uncover half an hour before serving to get to room temperature. Stir and then add more balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil if the noodles have absorbed too much of the dressing. I like my pasta salad with lots of dressing so I always add more!