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Southern Pasta Salad

By Paula Deen

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Featured in:

Love & Best Dishes

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Servings: 12 to 16

Ingredients

Dressing

  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 (0.06-ounce) package dried Italian seasoning

Salad

  • 4 to 6 quarts water
  • 1 (16-ounce) package rotini pasta
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 (8-ounce) block whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • ¼ cup sliced black olives
  • chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Dressing

In a bowl or dressing shaker, combine oil, water, mayonnaise, sugar, and Italian seasoning.

Salad

In a large stockpot, combine 4 to 6 quarts water bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Add broccoli during final 2 minutes of cooking. Strain. Transfer to a large bowl, and add chicken, bell pepper, tomatoes, cheese, and olives; add dressing, and stir until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Cook’s Note: Add any and all veggies your family loves. This is a “no-rules” recipe as far as your veggie or protein choices are concerned. Our family loves to add grilled sausage to change it up!