TUSCAN PASTA SALAD

Tuscan Pasta Salad image

A flavorful diversion from the run-of-the-mill Italian pasta salad. I like to serve this with grilled, fried, or barbecued chicken, and a crusty artisan bread. I would double the portions if you want to have leftovers when serving 4 or more; this goes fast in my home! Enjoy!

Provided by A. Piatt

Categories Salad 100+ Pasta Salad Recipes Tomato Pasta Salad Recipes

Time 45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 cup bow-tie pasta
1 ½ cups grape tomatoes, sliced
1 cup Italian dressing (such as Kraft® Tuscan House Italian)
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (such as Vegenaise®)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
½ cup pepperoncini peppers, minced
½ cup red onion, diced
½ cup sweet banana peppers, diced
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook bow-tie pasta at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
Combine pasta, tomatoes, Italian dressing, vegan mayonnaise, celery, cucumber, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, banana peppers, olives, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl. Mix until the dressing takes on a creamy consistency and all ingredients are thoroughly coated.
Season salad with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate, mixing again just before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 318.4 calories, Carbohydrate 15.7 g, Cholesterol 8.9 mg, Fat 26.9 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 5.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.3 g, Sodium 1173.8 mg, Sugar 5.2 g