Italian Pasta Salad with Balsamic Vinegar

With the kids home for the summer, it’s nice to have an easy dish in the fridge that is convenient to snack on. This pasta salad is healthy, colorful, and delicious. Its long shelf life also makes it a side you can serve at your next cookout before munching on the leftovers over the next few days.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 tbsp Onion Powder

2 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Oregano

1 tsp Pepper

¼ tsp Thyme

¼ tsp Sage

1 tsp Basil

1 tbsp Parsley

1/4 tsp Celery salt

3 tbsp Salt

1/4 cup Cider vinegar

2 tbsp Water

2/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp White wine vinegar

2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

½ Red pepper, chopped

½ Onion, chopped

2 Stalks Celery

1 lb Whole wheat rotini pasta

Process

Mix the dry ingredients, minus the vegetables and pasta, together in a bowl.

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients.

Mix in 4 tablespoons of the dry mixture into the wet mix and stir until combined.

Mix the dressing, pasta, and vegetables in a large bowl and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Sprinkle some shredded parmesan cheese on top and serve.

Taste Test

The flavors from the veggies really stood out. There is a nice combination of spices that have an Italian zing that meshes well with the oil. The vinegar was more apparent at the end of the bite and rounded out the overall taste very well.

Leftover Quality

As mentioned above, this pasta salad gets better over the first few days.