Budget Pasta Salad

Name: Budget Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 14 min
Yield: 2 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon Italian salad dressing mix; 2 teaspoons water; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles (any flavor); 1 ounce pepperoni, chopped; 1 (2 1/2 ounce) can black olives, sliced; 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/4 inch chunks; 2 green onions, chopped; 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped; 1 pinch red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Submitted by IngridH

"Ramen is a college student's best friend. But what to do with it when you're tired of soup? Look to another best friend- pizza! Here is a pasta salad with the same ingredients you'd find on your favorite pizza- pepperoni, olives, bell peppers, and of course, cheese! This is best served shortly after it's made- but who wants to wait anyway!"

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photo by ChefLee

Ready In:: 14mins
Ingredients:: 13
Serves:: 2

ingredients

1 teaspoon Italian salad dressing mix
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles (any flavor)
1 ounce pepperoni, chopped
1 (2 1/2 ounce) can black olives, sliced
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
¹⁄₂ cup mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/4 inch chunks
2 green onions, chopped
¹⁄₂ red bell pepper, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes (or to taste)

directions

In a medium bowl, combine salad dressing mix and water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Add mayonaise, vinegar, and oregano, and whisk to combine.
Discard flavor packet from ramen noodles. Cook in boiling water for two minutes, or until just tender.
Drain noodles well, and toss with dressing.
Using a clean pair of kitchen shears, cut noodles into shorter pieces in the bowl.
Add pepperoni, olives, cheeses, bell pepper, onion, and pepper flakes.
Toss well to coat all ingredients with dressing.
Taste, and add salt, pepper, or more oregano as needed.
Transfer to 2 serving bowls and serve.

Questions & Replies

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Reviews

My foster daughter had to come up with a Ramen noodle recipe for a home ec project and we used this one.. she got an A

GingerlyJ
This was really good! I made a couple slight changes, in the spirit of the Dining on a $ Contest, to save $$ and use things I had on hand. I had 1/2 a portobello mushroom so used that instead of the bell pepper, salami instead of pepperoni, and Monterey jack cheese instead of mozzarella. I had some homemade Italian dressing mix on hand so used that and didn't use the whole can of olives (seemed like too much to me). Thanks so much for the recipe - I will definitely make it again!

flower7
This is really tasty! I liked the Italian dressing for this pasta salad, it had great flavor! I could see making this with any type pasta, not just ramen noodles! I will make this recipe combo again, thanks!!!!

ChefLee
Very nice tasting dish. I tried to lower the fat amount by using turkey pepperoni and low fat mayo. This really does have a nice pizza taste to it. You want to make sure that all your ingredients are ready to toss together before you cook the noodles. That way you still have a nice warm dish to eat. I was even thinking about zapping it in the microwave to help melt the cheese. I couldn't taste the Italian salad dressing, so not sure if it really was needed. All the other great flavors took over. Made for dining on a $ cooking contest.

teresas
This colorful pasta salad is very pretty in the bowl and simple to make. One key element is to not overcook the noodles. I microwaved mine for two minutes & they were almost too soft for a salad. I used a zesty italian mix & thought the dressing was overly tart, but it might have been due to the brand. Other than that the salad was easy to make, had a nice combo of ingredients, and was ready in minutes. I appreciated the tip on using kitchen shears to cut the noodles. I will use this tip in the future. Thank you for your contest entry!

Susie D

Tweaks

This was really good! I made a couple slight changes, in the spirit of the Dining on a $ Contest, to save $$ and use things I had on hand. I had 1/2 a portobello mushroom so used that instead of the bell pepper, salami instead of pepperoni, and Monterey jack cheese instead of mozzarella. I had some homemade Italian dressing mix on hand so used that and didn't use the whole can of olives (seemed like too much to me). Thanks so much for the recipe - I will definitely make it again!

flower7

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

IngridH

I live near Seattle, WA with my husband of 11 years and our pet ferrets. We're lucky enough to own a home with a big, south facing yard which is great for entertaining. It also allows me to have a big vegetable garden where I grow most of my own herbs and a lot of the vegetables we eat in the summer, as well as a bunch to share with family and friends. In my professional life, I'm an accountant- but what I really love to do is cook and eat! Most of my ability is self-taught. I love to experiment with new recipes and techniques, most of which I get from watching way too much food tv and reading foodie magazines. Recently I decided to start a personal chef business and have cooked for a few clients. I love the challenge of designing a menu to fit a family's specific tastes and needs, and then cooking it for them to enjoy. For me, cooking is an expression of love. Everyone needs to eat, but food is more than just fuel for the body, it can nurture and comfort ~ give us a memory from childhood, or a retreat when we feel ill. I always think of the people who I'm cooking for when I make a dish, and there is no better compliment than when someone enjoys the food I've made especially for them. I also like to do OAMC- style cooking, but instead of using it mainly to get dinner on the table, I focus on getting lunch in the bag! Eating out is far too expensive in both dollars and nutrition to make a habit of, yet I want a hot, satisfying meal to enjoy in the middle of the day. Cookin ahead allows me to have great food, without sacrificing either my dollars or my waistline. <img src="http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j166/ZaarNicksMom/Animation6.gif"><img src="http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j166/ZaarNicksMom/PACsticker-Adopted.jpg"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/participantbannerzwt5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg271/MrsTeny/Permanent%20Collection/PACSpring09Participation.jpg"><img src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg271/MrsTeny/Permanent%20Collection/PACSpring09Iwasadopted.jpg"><img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PACfall08partic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg271/MrsTeny/AMpageSticker.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r317/j_welcome/pics2/food/PRMRcopy.jpg"><img src="http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj81/HokiesLady65/Recipezaar%20Album/iplaytagin.jpg">[IMG] http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e95/momaphet/Food/banner10.jpg[/IMG]

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