Appetizers / Soups / Salads

Dan's Pasta Salad with Romano and Pepperoni is for Lunch.

Dan's Pasta Salad with Romano and Pepperoni takes 20 minutes to prepare.

Dan's Pasta Salad with Romano and Pepperoni takes 15 minutes to cook.

Dan's Pasta Salad with Romano and Pepperoni makes 10 servings.

The ingredients for Dan's Pasta Salad with Romano and Pepperoni are:

SALAD:
1 pound of whole wheat pasta (smaller pastas work best, like wagon wheels, small shells, or small rigatoni).
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed, OR 1/2 package dried pinto beans.
3 cups broccoli florets (steamed for three minutes)
4 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, diced to 1/4" pieces
1 ounce of Romano (or other hard) cheese, broken up (about 1/4 inch rough chunks)
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 of a medium red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/2 medium zucchini
6 ounces of pepperoni

DRESSING:
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp oregano)
1/4 tsp coarsely-ground black pepper

Here is how you make Dan's Pasta Salad with Romano and Pepperoni:

NOTE: I find it helpful to use two bowls as this makes a lot of pasta. One of the bowls should have a lid for storage; the other is just for working the ingredients together.Cook pasta al dente per package instructions, drain, and rinse with cool water.If using dried beans, prepare them using package instructions.Wash broccoli, slice it apart into florets (size varies from the size of the last joint on your pinkie to thumb-sized) and steam it for three minutes. Rinse in cool water.Using a small whisk, blend the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, herbs, and black pepper together.Combine all ingredients evenly into the bowls and mix thoroughly. Once mixed, combine the bowls into the lidded storage bowl.Makes about ten, 1-cup servings.Pasta salads are best served at room temperature. You can eat this right from the refrigerator, but if you have time let it warm up (with the lid on) for a while before serving.Number of Servings: 10Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user DAN_ODEA.

The nutritional information for Dan's Pasta Salad with Romano and Pepperoni is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 10
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 414.6

• Total Fat: 26.9 g
• Cholesterol: 34.9 mg
• Sodium: 586.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 31.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 8.3 g
• Protein: 14.8 g