Not Your Usual Pasta Salad

Not Your Usual Pasta Salad
  • PREP TIME
    20 mins
  • COOK TIME
    20 mins
  • TOTAL TIME
    1 hrs 40 mins
  • SERVING
    16 People
  • VIEWS
    66

Elevate your pasta salad game with this vibrant and flavorful creation! Packed with smoky bacon, crisp vegetables, and a tangy dressing, it's a symphony of textures and tastes that will leave you craving more. Perfect as a side or a light meal, this salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Ingridients

Adjust Servings

Nutrition

  • Carbohydrate
    27 g
  • Cholesterol
    68 mg
  • Fiber
    2 g
  • Protein
    9 g
  • Saturated Fat
    3 g
  • Sodium
    381 mg
  • Sugar
    4 g
  • Fat
    12 g
  • Unsaturated Fat
    0 g

Follow The Directions

01

Step

Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the seashell pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. (8 minutes)

02

Step

Crisp the Bacon: Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from skillet and place on paper towels to drain. Once cooled, crumble the bacon. (10 minutes)

03

Step

Prepare the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the creamy salad dressing, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, crushed garlic, Dijon mustard, and dried oregano until well combined.

04

Step

Combine and Chill: In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, water chestnuts, chopped hard-cooked eggs, diced green bell pepper, diced red bell pepper, diced celery, sliced black olives, diced Cheddar cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the dressing over the mixture and stir gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. (60 minutes)

For an extra layer of flavor, try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dressing.
Feel free to substitute the cheddar cheese with your favorite cheese, such as Monterey Jack or pepper jack.
This salad is even better the next day, as the flavors have more time to develop.
Add grilled chicken or shrimp to transform this into a main course.

Earnestine Rempel

Written by

Our recipe authors are passionate food lovers who share thousands of diverse dishes from around the world. They bring daily cooking inspiration with delicious, easy-to-make recipes for every occasion.

RECIPE REVIEWS

Avarage Rating: 4.4/ 5 ( 22 Ratings)
Total Reviews: (6)
  • Nathaniel Bins

    I skipped the water chestnuts, and used cubed provolone. Delicious!

  • Albina Hartmann

    This recipe is a keeper!

  • Rachelle Cummerata

    I made this salad for a potluck and it was gone in minutes! The dressing is so good, and the bacon adds a nice smoky flavor.

  • Darlene Wehner

    I've made this salad several times now, and it's always a crowd-pleaser. It's easy to customize with different vegetables and cheeses.

  • Chet Bayer

    I added some grilled chicken to this and it was amazing! Thank you for the easy recipe

  • Horacio Feil

    This salad was a huge hit at our family picnic! Everyone loved the combination of flavors and textures.

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