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A pasta salad can be like a blank canvas for your tastes. This Caesar Parmesan pasta salad is proof of that. Half of the ingredients we ended up adding were not in the original recipe. The pasta, dressing, and Parmesan were. After that, we ran with it. Mostly because of what we had on hand. And of course, because we like what we like. So why not make it with the things we love?
Some of This. Some of That.
We added roasted red bell pepper to our Caesar Parmesan pasta salad for starters. A lot of recipes call for bell pepper, but usually raw. We liked the roasted ones that come in a jar. We chop them up and freeze them. They work well in pasta salads (after giving them a good drain and pat dry). We also added thawed frozen peas. That ‘pop’ from the peas always adds a nice touch to any pasta salad. Red onion adds a good crunch and heat. For cheese we went with Monterey Jack, but any decent softer cheese would do. Mozzarella. Pepper jack. Even extra sharp cheddar. Any of those and others are great in this!
If you want a bit more ‘zing’ use zesty Italian dressing instead of the ‘usual’ stuff.
- Makes Everything Simple : Just forget your bagged…
- Premium Material : All parts of the rotary cheese…
Also try my sweet roasted red pepper macaroni salad.
Caesar Parmesan Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta or your favorite!
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 cup Italian salad dressing
- 1 cup Creamy Caesar salad dressing
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- ½ cup roasted red bell pepper drained well, diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese cut into small cubes
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- ¼ cup black olives sliced, drained
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta per package instructions.
- Drain well and let cool.
- Transfer pasta to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
- Stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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- Set includes: 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup
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Great flavor and texture with a deliciously easy dressing!