Friday, August 15, 2008

Pasta Salad


12 to 16 oz. bag tri-color rotini
1/2 green bell pepper, diced small
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cubed
4 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 container grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/4 carrot, shredded or chopped
5 oz. Wishbone Italian dressing or Ranch dressing

Boil pasta, make sure you don't over cook it. Drain and then add cold water & ice cubes to cool off, then drain again. Add the dry ranch dressing mix & bell peppers to the pasta. You can let this part sit over night or if you're eating it soon, add the rest of the ingredients right before serving. The cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes will get soggy if you let them sit too long in the dressing. I like to omit the Italian dressing and top mine with Ranch. If you plan on eating this over a couple of days, don't add the Italian dressing to the bowl, just add it when you are eating. You can make it a meal by adding some cubed grilled chicken to it. YUMMY!