Rainbow Italian Pasta Salad
This recipe is sponsored by Pero Family Farms. All opinions are our own.
Brighten up your menu with this easy rainbow Italian pasta salad tossed in a homemade Italian vinaigrette. Fresh veggies like Pero Family Farms® mini sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers offer the right amount of crunch that’s topped with fresh Parmesan cheese.
When it comes to pasta salads, the flavor combinations are endless. This rainbow pasta salad is bright and colorful and is easy to customize with your kids’ favorite ingredients.
Add chopped broccoli, shredded carrots, artichoke hearts, diced ham or chickpeas for more flavor!
Nutrition Tip: White pasta contains fiber and is enriched with iron and B vitamins. It’s also low on the Glyemic Index, which means it doesn’t make your blood sugar soar and crash after eating it. If you can find whole wheat bowties, you’ll get even more fiber per serving.
My family are big fans of Pero Family Farms® Mini Sweet Peppers. They’re a must for my daughter Charli’s famous salsa recipe and could not be more kid-friendly.
Pero Family Farms’ unique seed variety grows a sweeter Mini Sweet Pepper that’s great for snacks, salads, grilling and more – especially for this pasta salad. Plus, about 4 mini sweet peppers contain your entire daily value of vitamin C!
This recipe can be made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It’s perfect for a family picnic, summer cookout or potluck lunch.
Rainbow Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz. bowtie pasta
- [3 Pero Family Farms® red mini sweet peppers sliced]
- [3 Pero Family Farms® orange mini sweet peppers sliced]
- [3 Pero Family Farms® yellow mini sweet peppers sliced]
- 1 6 oz. can whole black olives
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ seedless cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup freshly-shredded Parmesan cheese
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. honey
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in small bowl. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and let cool.
- In large bowl, mix together pasta, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat well. Top with Parmesan cheese.