Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

Name: Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 lb spaghetti, cooked and drained (or any other pasta shape); 1 1/2 - 2 cups diced carrots; 1/2 cup chopped onions; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 cup diced celery; 1 can large black olives, sliced; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1 (16oz) bottle Creamy Italian dressing; 1 cup sugar; 2 tsp prepared mustard

Nothing accompanies a potluck or grilled meat quite the way a great pasta salad does. And I am going to confess, I’ve made some bad ones and some good ones through the years. But there always just seems to be a recipe that I continually come back to time after time. Creamy Italian Pasta Salad.

Years ago, one of our neighbors and family friend, Jo, gave my mom this recipe. Jo is one of those people who love everything about summer: the heat, gardening, county fairs, and cook outs. My middle and high school summers were usually spent lounging in Jo’s pool talking about food and exchanging some of our favorite recipes. This pasta salad was one she shared and it quickly became a family staple.

The original recipe calls to use spaghetti instead of the usual macaroni. I’ve made it with a variety of pasta shapes, but still love the original. But if I make this for a potluck I will choose a penne or rigatoni just to make it easier to scoop onto people’s plates going through the line. The spaghetti, although delicious is a little difficult to catch up with in a hungry crowd.

I don’t like when a salad gets “dried out” after the pasta has soaked up all of the mayo based dressing. Because of starting with a bottle of prepared creamy Italian dressing and adding a little sugar for sweetness and mustard for tang, this sauce is a great base for any added salad ingredients.

Sometimes I substitute cubed cheese like smoked Gouda for the shredded cheddar and use a variety of random veggies. I’m not sure if any two times I’ve made this salad it has been the exact same.

Make it for your next family reunion or a quite Saturday cooking up burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Just make sure to bring the recipe along, because I’m sure you will be asked for it.