Tri-Color Italian Rotini Pasta Salad

Gettin' ready for summer - it's not far away now!

Here's another pasta salad for my recipe box. The first one I posted was a Creamy Pasta Salad version, and my attempt at duplicating a local restaurant's menu item. This one is made using Italian dressing and no mayonnaise.

Of course, you can mix and match whatever veggies you happen to have on hand or find at the market. To me, those listed are the basics and to be added upon. Focus on fresh, raw veggies for the most part - though a handful of frozen peas are great - and preferably what's in season. This is fantastic for when those peppers and tomatoes start to come in. This time I threw in some of that baby corn I had leftover from doing my Spicy Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry {times two already}, and a bit of sliced radish.

Now me, I like to have chunks of crunchy veggies in my pasta salad, but chop as thin as you like! You can also switch up the pasta - I like the tri-color rotini pasta for this recipe, but wagon wheels or shells are nice too. I also use the Good Seasons envelope seasoning to make up my own Italian dressing, but a bottled commercial dressing works great.

By the way, this pasta salad is great on its own but fantastic as written with boiled shrimp tossed in. Just add in 3/4ths to 1 full pound of boiled, peeled shrimp at the end, right before chilling. I just didn't have any shrimp thawed when I decided I wanted some pasta salad, or you can bet it sure would have been in here! Glad shrimp season is about to open - we are running low!

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Tri-Color Italian Rotini Pasta Salad
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

1 package of tri-color rotini pasta
1 pound of boiled shrimp, fresh or frozen
   (not canned), optional
1/2 of a medium red onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 of a medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 of a medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 can of medium pitted black olives, sliced
1 cup of Italian dressing
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Parmesan cheese, to garnish
Crumbled bacon, to garnish, optional

If using fresh or frozen raw shrimp, boil in water, salt, liquid crab boil and lemon for about 4 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Drain and set aside to cool; peel. You'll add these at the end. If you're using the frozen precooked shrimp, you'll just need to thaw them, then add them in.

Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse well and set aside.

To the drained pasta, add all of the chopped vegetables, except for the tomatoes. Stir in the Italian dressing and mix all together well. Add the cooked and cooled shrimp and gently toss. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, add the chopped tomato, toss and then sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and crumbled bacon, because everything is better with bacon! Store in the fridge and refresh with additional Italian dressing as needed.

Note: To make this Lent friendly, omit the bacon. 

Source:  http://www.deepsouthdish.com

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