Italian Pasta Salad for a 4th of July or Summer Picnic

Italian Pasta Salad for a 4th of July or Summer Picnic is a safer alternative to mayonnaise-based salads. Mayonnaise-based salads are not the best idea for outdoor or summertime picnics.

At the 4th of July picnic, make foods that can stand the heat, including this Italian Pasta Salad. The Italian Pasta salad can be made from different fresh and canned vegetables, a dressing of your choice, and some cooked pasta.

Ingredients

1 box pasta wheels or pasta bowties (Any type of pasta will work in this 4th of July recipe). A pasta like wheels or bow ties tends to pick, up the Italian seasonings and flavors quite nicely. You can use whatever pasta you have in the cabinet.

1 bottle of Italian dressing - Select your favorite fat-free or low-fat Italian dressing. Try Wish-bone or Good Seasonings.

1/4 cup pitted black olives, sliced
1/4 cup green olives - Basically use any combination of these olives that suit your taste. Add more or less to this 4th of July picnic recipe. Remember to set some olives aside to garnish the top of the picnic salad.

1 package sun-dried tomatoes (optional) - Sun-dried tomatoes are not available everywhere, and they can be on the pricey side. Use them for a robust tomato flavor in this 4th of July recipe.

1 small can of artichoke hearts, drained

4 plum tomatoes, sliced- This versatile 4th of July will accommodate any type of tomato, so if you prefer a cherry tomato or have freshly grown garden tomatoes, use those.

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 red pepper, diced

What will make this Italian Pasta Salad for a 4th of July or summer picnic stand out is the use of fresh herbs. Pick from your own herb garden, or buy these fresh herbs:

basil
parsley

Make It

Cook the pasta for slightly less time than you would if serving it warm. Keeping the pasta a tiny bit undercooked will keep it from turning into mush in your 4th of July holiday salad.

Mix the vegetables including the sun-dried or fresh tomatoes, the zucchini, the artichoke hearts, red pepper in a bowl with 1 cup of Italian dressing. Also addthe fresh herbs and the olives.

Add that mixture to the pasta and stir thoroughly.

Add more Italian dressing before serving, if the foods have absorbed too much of it.

Garnish with the whole olives and serve.