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My wife makes a great pasta salad which is always a big hit at cookouts and family gatherings. It's a great side item for hamburgers, hot dogs or chicken, and some people even choose to eat the pasta salad by itself.

To make her Pasta Salad to feed a crowd of up to 6, or as a side item for 10-12, she cooks about 1 pound of assorted pastas, such as Elbow Macaroni, Penne Pasta, and my favorite, Spirals. (Of course, it is not necessary to use different types of pasta; One will suffice.)

She cooks the pasta according to the directions, perhaps a little bit shorter than directed (It is better for the noddles be too hard than too soft.) Next she drains the noodles and rinses them with lukewarm water, then transfers them to the serving bowl.

At this point, she always adds the vegetables that she was efficiently preparing as the noodles were cooking, and gently stirs it together:

1 Can Black Olives, drained and sliced
1 Can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium Onion, diced
1 large Green Pepper, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 16 ounce Bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
As you mix add Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste.

Additionally, she sometimes adds Green Olives, Cucumbers, or Parmesan Cheese.

You can eat it immediately, or you can refrigerate it for later; However, if you do this, you might need to add a bit more dressing before serving if the noodles have soaked up too much of the dressing that you have already added.

Learn more about this author, Billy Sunshine.
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