Name: Zesty Italian Pasta with Summer Sausage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 1 (16-ounce) box tri-color rotini pasta; 2 cups small broccoli florets, cut into evenly sized pieces; 2 cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese; 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 cups cubed summer sausage; 1 cup zesty Italian dressing, plus more as needed

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This pasta salad reminds of someone very special.

Colorful vegetable pasta salad with broccoli, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cheese, and ham in a white bowl.

My mom! This is her go to when all of us kids come back home to Iowa to visit. She makes a HUGE batch and we usually eat it all in about 3 minutes. It also helps that the hardest part is chopping the veggies…meaning this is super super easy to make. No fuss with this dish!

Fresh diced yellow cheese, cooked ham, cherry tomatoes, diced carrots, and broccoli florets, arranged in a colorful display for healthy meal prep or nutritious cooking.

oooooo pretty colors. 🙂 Feel free to add more veggies or even different veggies. My mom sometimes adds a red onion and olives. You can really make this your own.

The key ingredient…ZESTY Italian Dressing. I use Kraft – it’s my favorite for this, but choose whatever you like best. The dressing really brings all the flavors together.

Perfect to bring to a barbecue or have for lunch.

Bright vegetable pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and shredded cheese in a white bowl, perfect for healthy, delicious meals and meal prep.

Yield: 6 servings

Zesty Italian Pasta with Summer Sausage

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This easy Italian pasta salad combines tri-color pasta, summer sausage, sharp cheddar, crisp broccoli and juicy tomatoes with zesty Italian dressing. It’s colorful, flavorful and perfect for summer barbecues, potlucks or an easy lunch.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) box tri-color rotini pasta
2 cups small broccoli florets, cut into evenly sized pieces
2 cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups cubed summer sausage
1 cup zesty Italian dressing, plus more as needed

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 (16-ounce) box tri-color rotini pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water until completely cooled. Drain well so the excess water does not dilute the dressing.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the remaining ingredients. Cut 2 cups broccoli florets into small, evenly sized pieces so they are easy to eat and distribute evenly throughout the salad.
Add the broccoli to a large mixing bowl along with 2 cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese, 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes and 2 cups cubed summer sausage.
Add the cooled pasta to the bowl. Pour 1 cup zesty Italian dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
Toss the pasta salad again before serving. If the pasta has absorbed some of the dressing, add another splash as needed.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 792Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 27gUnsaturated Fat: 36gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 2087mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 38g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.