Growing up in my household, summer was synonymous with pasta salad. At every backyard barbecue, birthday or casual lunch, my grandma’s version is requested. And every friend that gives it a try begs for the recipe.
Tri-color rotini pasta makes a bright base for a bounty of Italian toppings, (everything but the kitchen sink) like black and green olives, mozzarella, artichokes and pepperoni. The best part is seeing what ingredients picky people leave behind on their plates. My brother isn’t a fan of celery, while I usually leave the black olives behind.
But each component is crucial to the formula. A couple of years ago, we made a cookbook featuring all of our grandmother’s recipes, and the most worn-out page is already the coveted pasta salad recipe. We pretty much eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and if one family member makes it for themselves, the rest come flocking with Tupperware in hand.
I don’t remember a life without Anita Schneider’s pasta salad, and I don’t want to. So, if you want to be the MVP of your next summer party, test out the recipe below: 1 1-lb package of Tri-color Rotini Pasta (Pasta LaBella) 1 can sliced black olives (3.8 oz) 1 jar sliced green olives (10 oz) 1 can quartered artichokes 1 carton of grape tomatoes (halved) Small packaged sliced Pepperoni (mini if you can find) 8 oz package of mozzarella cheese Chopped celery (1 or 2 stalks) Black pepper to taste 1 bottle Creamy Italian salad dressing (Kraft) Cook pasta according to direc.