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Home Salads Pasta Salads Italian Pasta Salads

Contest-Winning Picnic Pasta Salad

Name: Contest-Winning Picnic Pasta Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 16 servings.
Cuisine: Europe, Italian
Ingredients: 1 package (12 ounces) tricolor spiral pasta; 1 package (10 ounces) refrigerated tricolor tortellini; 1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained; 1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets (about 1-3/4 cups); 12 ounces provolone cheese, cubed; 12 ounces hard salami, cubed; 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped; 1 medium green pepper, chopped; 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained; 1 medium red onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix

25 reviews

Contest Winner

Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Makes

16 servings

Updated: Jun. 30, 2023

My family's not big on traditional pasta salads made with mayonnaise, so when I served this colorful version that uses Italian dressing, it was a big hit. This crowd-pleaser is loaded with vegetables, beans and tricolor pasta. It's one of the best picnic salad ideas! —Felicia Fiocchi, Vineland, New Jersey

Ingredients

1 package (12 ounces) tricolor spiral pasta
1 package (10 ounces) refrigerated tricolor tortellini
1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets (about 1-3/4 cups)
12 ounces provolone cheese, cubed
12 ounces hard salami, cubed
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix

Directions

Cook spiral pasta and tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add the artichokes, broccoli, provolone cheese, salami, peppers, beans, olives, onion and garlic.
Prepare salad dressing according to package directions; pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Test Kitchen Tips

This salad has so many goodies you don't have to dig to find them. But you can stretch the recipe (and save some moolah) by cooking another 12-ounce package of tricolor spiral pasta and drizzling it with olive oil before adding it to the salad.

Don't be afraid to make this ahead of time. The flavors actually improve overnight.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 411 calories, 23g fat (8g saturated fat), 43mg cholesterol, 1156mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 4g fiber), 18g protein.

Contest-Winning Picnic Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Directions

Nutrition Facts

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