This is one of my favorite pasta salads EVER! It is tweaked from a very basic recipe that my mother used to use when I was growing up. For hers, it was even more simple than this one. It was literally just tricolor rotini, Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar, black olives, and diced cheddar cheese. Eating that was heaven as a child!
My recipe has a few more extras to perk it up a little bit, and to even make it look a bit fancier.
The ingredients you will need are:
- 1 box of rotini (regular, whole wheat, or tricolor)
- 1 bottle of Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or more to your liking)
- 1 can of sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup (or more; your preference) of diced cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of black beans
- 1 cup sliced fresh radishes
- 1/2 cup of cut green onions
- Green leaf lettuce for garnish
Simply boil your rotini, drain and cool. In a large bowl, mix pasta and the ENTIRE bottle of dressing. Add olives, cheese and salt. Mix evenly. Next add radishes, beans and green onions, but leave a little bit of all for garnishing on top. Mix evenly. Put all left over ingredients in the center of the bowl for a pretty garnish, and add your lettuce to border your pasta for nice complete look. And that’s it! Easy as pie! Actually…. EASIER!
