In my opinion, there is never a bad time for cold pasta salad — an easy side dish that complements warm weather, or a main topped with warm grilled chicken or shrimp during cooler months. This recipe for pasta salad is simple. The listed ingredients are merely suggestions; the only important ingredients to the recipe are the pasta, zesty Italian salad dressing, and salad supreme seasoning. A trick my aunt taught me was to dress the pasta when still warm and add the cheese to slightly melt the cubes and marinate to absorb as much of the dressing and spice as possible. What you add to the pasta after it’s chilled is entirely up to you. Below is what I prefer if serving the pasta salad as a side dish. If I’m making it as the base for a main, I omit the pepperoni and top with grilled chicken or shrimp. The best part of this pasta salad is the longer it chills in the refrigerator the better it tastes. Salad supreme seasoning can be found in most grocery store spice aisles. 

Zesty Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 pound angel hair, farfalle, or rotini pasta
8 ounces zesty Italian salad dressing
⅓ cup salad supreme seasoning (about 1 bottle)
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, diced
1 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed and diced
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed and diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 medium cucumber, diced
6 ounces black olives, drained and sliced
6 ounces sliced pepperoni, quartered 

Directions 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and place in a large bowl. 
2. While the pasta is still hot, add salad dressing and salad supreme seasoning. Toss to evenly coat pasta. Add cheese and toss to evenly distribute. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until cold. 
3. Once pasta is chilled, add remaining ingredients and toss to evenly distribute, making sure to scrap the bottom of the bowl and incorporate the salad dressing at the bottom. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. The longer the pasta chills, the more robust the flavors will be. 
4. Pasta salad will keep, chilled, for up to 4 days. 

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