Description
Celebrate the 4th of July with this vibrant and festive pasta salad featuring red, white, and blue colors. This cold pasta salad combines tri-colored pasta with mini pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, diced red onion and bell pepper, all tossed in a zesty Italian dressing. Perfect for picnics, barbecues, and holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 ounces Cellentani pasta (or any short pasta)
- 2-3 drops red food coloring
- 2-3 drops blue food coloring
Salad Mix-Ins
- 1 cup mini pepperoni
- 1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
Dressing
- 16 ounces Italian dressing (not creamy)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil your pasta al dente according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set it aside to cool.
- Prepare Color Bags: In a large Ziploc bag, add 3 drops of red food coloring and 1 tablespoon of water. In a separate Ziploc bag, add 3 drops of blue food coloring and 1 tablespoon of water.
- Divide Pasta: Divide the cooked pasta evenly into three portions.
- Color Pasta: Place one portion of pasta into the red food coloring bag and seal tightly. Place another portion into the blue food coloring bag and seal tightly. Leave the last portion uncolored for the white section.
- Toss and Soak: Gently toss the pasta in each sealed bag to evenly coat the pasta with color. Let the pasta soak in the food coloring for about 5 minutes to enhance the color.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the red, blue, and white pasta with mini pepperoni, cubed mozzarella cheese, diced red onion, and diced red bell pepper.
- Add Dressing: Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta mixture. Gently toss everything together until well combined and coated with dressing.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and the salad to chill.
Notes
- Use short pasta shapes like Cellentani or rotini for better dressing adherence.
- Adjust food coloring drops for more vibrant or subtle colors.
- Make sure the pasta is cooled completely before coloring to avoid texture changes.
- This pasta salad can be made a few hours ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- For a vegetarian version, ensure pepperoni is omitted or substituted with vegetarian-friendly alternatives.
