Stephanie Brown
@hustlewanderste
Drive-In Style Pasta Salad
A vibrant and flavorful pasta salad that brings the taste of your favorite drive-in right to your kitchen. Perfect for picnics, barbecues, or a quick lunch, this dish combines colorful veggies, zesty dressing, and creamy cheese for a delightful meal.
Details
- Difficulty:medium
- Estimated Cost:N/A
- Ingredients:12
- Views:5
Recipe Information
- Prep time20 min.
- Cook time10 min.
- Total time30 min.
- Servings8
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package
- 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup
- 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon
- 1
- 1
- 1/4 cup
- 1 (8 ounce) package
- 1 pinch (to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Follow our step-by-step guide on how to make Drive-In Style Pasta Salad.
Step 1
Start by bringing a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the tri-color rotini pasta and cook it until it's tender yet firm to the bite, which should take about 8 minutes. After cooking, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process.
Step 2
In a large salad bowl, whisk together the white sugar, salt, and hot water until the sugar has completely dissolved. This will be the base of your dressing. Next, stir in the white vinegar, vegetable oil, and dried oregano to create a zesty dressing that will elevate the flavors of your salad.
Step 3
Now, add the diced tomato, red bell pepper, and finely diced sweet onion to the dressing. Give it a gentle stir to combine all those fresh flavors together. It's like a colorful garden in your bowl!
Step 4
Carefully fold the cooled rotini pasta into the dressing and vegetable mixture, ensuring that every piece of pasta is coated in that delicious dressing. Finally, mix in the shredded sharp Cheddar cheese for a creamy finish. Season with a pinch of ground black pepper to taste, and give it one last gentle toss to combine everything beautifully.