Pasta salad is a quick and easy dish to make. It is best when refrigerated for a few hours or overnight to allow the pasta to soak all the goodness of the dressing and other condiments. Pasta Salad is best to serve when chilled. I love adding soybeans as it gives that nutty texture to the dish. Besides, I love edamame! The ingredients for this dish can be found easily in your local grocery store. Join me in learning how to make this easy and colorful dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb tri-color rotini pasta (I prefer the Barilla brand)
- 12 cups water, at room temperature for boiling the pasta 1/4 tsp salt (fine or iodized)
- 1 small bag edamame (we get ours from Costco in bulk, you may also use regular soybeans. Adding soybeans is optional)
- 3 cups water, at room temperature for boiling the edamame 1 cup Zesty Italian dressing (we used the Kraft brand. Any brand works just fine, add more dressing as needed. Or use your own homemade dressing if preferred)
- 1/2 of the large sweet onion, diced
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, diced (as I’m out of cherry tomato)
- 1 (6 OZ) tub tomato basil feta cheese crumbles (any brand or flavor works fine as personal preference)
- 1 (2.25 OZ) can sliced black olives (water is drained)
Instructions
Cook the Pasta:
In a large pot, boil 12 cups of water over high heat. Add 1/4 tsp of fine or iodized salt and dissolve. When water is boiling, turn the heat to medium-high. Put the rotini pasta and cook it for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked. Stir occasionally. When cooked, immediately drain the water and rinse with drinking water to keep from getting soggy and sticky. Set aside for later.
Cook Edamame:
In a small saucepan, boil 3 cups of water. When water is boiling put the edamame (you may also use the soybeans itself). Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir occasionally. When cooked, drain the water. Rinse and allow to cool down for 10 to 15 minutes. When cooled, gently open the pods to collect the beans. Set aside for later. This ingredient is optional. If you wish to leave this out, please skip to step #3.
Mix Ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl put the cooked pasta, store-bought dressing (you may use your own homemade dressing as personal preference), diced onions, and tomatoes. Soybeans, sliced black olives, tomato, and basil feta cheese crumbles. Then mix well to combine. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Best serve when chilled! Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this dish try out our video on how to make Shepherds Pie.
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I agree with your husband! Much better than the store! Keep up the hard work girl!