Pasta Salad

ingredients

Dressing:Good Seasons Italian dressing mix the directions are on the box. I use either Canola or Vegetable oil and regular white vinegar. When If you feel like switching it up, use apple cider vinegar, olive oil (which can taste very heavy, though) and/or some balsamic vinegar.
Before adding the final ingredient, the oil, I add some garlic salt, and lots of Italian Seasoning.
Pasta: For a good sized party, one pound/box of pasta is good.
I like small bit sized pasta the best but you can use any. Just make sure you prepare it al dente. My favorite pasta is Barilla and I think that the Mini Wheels work great. They don’t slide on paper plates and are easy to get on the fork.
My guidelines for the ingredients are to either go with colors (looks so pretty with yellow, green, red, orange and black) or a theme (mozzarella and tomatoes), or think sweet, salty and earthy.
Examples:
Colors: yellow peppers, green soy beans, Red Kidney Beans, orange chick peas, Black Olives
Theme: chunks of mozzarella, sliced cherry tomatoes, add some basil
Tastes: Sweet corn, salty capers, earthy pine nuts
Qty: Usually, one can of each, per pound of pasta
Other ingredients to keep in mind are: broccoli, peas, cauliflower, peppers,green olives (don’t use too many) canned chicken.

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Now, Corey called me out at the Phish show:
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Corey: Didn’t you used to make it with pepperoni?
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Me: Yes, but this is healthier
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Corey: Sellout
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This is the recipe I was raised on that he was referring to:
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Cubed...
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Pepperoni
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Salami
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Ham
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Cheese (slicing up string cheese sticks works well)
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Black Olives
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**It is always best when the pasta and dressing are mixed the night before and are refrigerated. You will need more dressing the next day since all the oil will be absorbed. Maybe only add half the night before and half the next day. You can make the whole salad the night before, or just add the other ingredients the next day.