Quick Easy Pasta Salad

• servings: 10 items
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound dried pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini or farfalle

1 cup sliced bell pepper, 1 medium

1 cup thinly sliced zucchini , 1/2 medium

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, 5 to 6

1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers, optional

1 cup (4 ounces) halved mixed olives

1 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan cheese or other hard cheese

1 cup (6 ounces) fresh mozzarella balls, chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley or basil, optional

1/3 cup red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 to 3 tablespoons juice from pepperoncini jar, optional

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check the package for recommended cook time). Drain and rinse well under cold water.

While the pasta cooks, make the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, pepperoncini juice (if using), and olive oil until blended. Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the dressing and mix well.

Stir in the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, pepperoncini (if using), olives, parmesan, mozzarella, and herbs (if using). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve, or for the best results, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/10 of the salad
• Calories: 363
• Total Fat: 19.1g
• Saturated Fat: 5.1g
• Cholesterol: 18.3mg
• Sodium: 507.1mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 36.6g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.3g
• Total Sugars: 2g
• Protein: 11.7g