An Italian pasta salad so good I ate it for lunch three days in a row

Nothing says delicious and convenient like a fast, fresh and easy pasta salad. And with so many variations, it’s a foolproof main dish or side dish to bring to the table, to any backyard barbecue or to a potluck.

There are endless nutritious ways to make a pasta salad, and if you’re anything like me, you try to create a more nutritious pasta meal by adding good-for-you ingredients and sneaking in leafy greens.

This is the perfect pasta salad for any cookout, picnic or light summer meal. This delicious pasta salad is loaded with all your Italian favorites, like pepperoni, ham, tomatoes, spinach and cheese, and it’s tossed with a flavorful Italian dressing!

Also, this salad tossed with a lite Italian salad dressing, while light and refreshing, is flavorful and completely necessary. And since big salads are meant to be shared, call the neighbors over, have a pool party and enjoy!

Italian pasta salad

Serves 4 – 6

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 to 12 ounces medium-sized pasta shells
• 10 slices of HORMEL^® NATURAL CHOICE^® Honey Deli Ham, cut into strips
• 1 cup HORMEL^® Original Pepperoni
• 1 (6 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 cup cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup lite Italian salad dressing

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta shells according to the directions on the package.
2. Drain the pasta shells and run under cold water until completely cooled; pat dry with paper towels.
3. Combine pasta, ham, pepperoni, spinach, tomatoes and cheese in a large salad bowl.
4. Gently toss salad with Italian dressing.
5. Serve.

This post is sponsored by the makers of the HORMEL^® NATURAL CHOICE^® brand.