How to Make a Summertime Pasta Salad

This pasta salad has always been a big hit at barbeques and picnics. Offer to bring this sidedish and soak up the sun, barbeque and compliments.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 2 packages Mostacolli pasta
• 3 Roma tomatos
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper (optional)
• 1/8 red onion
• 1 package mushrooms
• 1 can jumbo black olives
• 1 jar pepperoncinis
• 2 jars Bob's Big Boy's Country Ranch Dressing
• 2 to 3 tsp. A-1 sauce
• 1 sprinkle red peppers
• 3 sprinkles shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 package chicken filets or tenders

1. Boil a large pot of water. Insert mostacolli.
2. Wash, dry and chop tomatos, peppers, onion, mushrooms. Set aside.
3. Chop up pepperoncinis and half of the can of jumbo black olives.
4. Cook chicken filets on stove or grill. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
5. Drain the pasta once it is finished. Mix all the ingredients, including the remaining whole black olives, into the pasta. Once cooled, add one jar of the ranch dressing and 2 to 3 tsp. of A-1.
6. Mix again, making sure that all parts of the pasta have received dressing.
7. Place in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or until cool. Sample the pasta, adding any extra dressing or A-1 that's needed.
8. Garnish with crushed pepper and Parmesan.
9. Add any other ingredients to taste.

Tips & Warnings

• Because of the pepperoncinis and crushed pepper, this recipe is a little spicy. You can add or delete these items according to your taste.
• Feel free to add any other ingredients, such as green olives, broccoli or bacon to the salad.
• Though the recipe calls for only one can of ranch dressing, the pasta can sometimes absorb quite a bit of the dressing once it's refrigerated, so keep a second jar on hand to compensate for absorption. Bring this can with you if you're taking the pasta salad to a get-together.