Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad features Italian flavors paired with garden vegetables, rotini, salami, and mozzarella.  This pasta salad tastes great, feeds a crowd and comes together in a snap.  Perfect for your next picnic, pot luck or BBQ.

Are you guys a sucker for pasta and potato salads like I am?  No matter how many times I tell myself to limit the amount of sides I pile onto my plate, I always walk away from the table having placed at least 1 spoonful of each salad on the table.  I just cannot get enough of those side dishes.

I was introduced to this pasta salad, while tailgating and partying like a parrot head, at a Jimmy Buffet concert. I found myself going back multiple times for more, so I finally asked how it was made.  Our friend referred to it as “Junk Pasta Salad” but there’s far from junk in there. So I renamed it as to not steer anyone clear of its deliciousness.  Well between sipping margaritas and enjoying “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” I had forgotten a few of the ingredients in the salad.  I tried as hard as I could to remember and am confident it tastes just like the original, if not better.  #sorrynotsorry

Please tell me I am not the only person who has never been to a Jimmy Buffet concert before.  Before June, I had never seen Jimmy Buffet before. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Jimmy Buffet but never had the desire to see him live. My husband approached me a few months back letting me know a group of our friends were going and he’d like to tag along.  Well, ok then. I mean, I’m not one to turn down a concert complete with tailgating, no siree!  Count me in.

I was fully expecting utter chaos and debauchery from the following of parrot heads Jimmy Buffet has, but to be honest, it was pretty tame.  It was a gorgeous day so we all sat around sippin’ margaritas, beers, eating and chatting the day away.  A perfect summer afternoon if you ask me.  Made even more perfect by this pasta salad.

The concert itself was super fun.  Jimmy Buffet put on a great show and we even had an appearance by Patrick Kane with the Stanley Cup- GO BLACKHAWKS!  Now that got the crowd really rowdy!  What can we say, we love our Chicago sports…well most of them. When it comes to baseball, we are Cardinals fans and that’s how we like it, as we like to win championships.  Not to burn any, ahem, Cubs fans.  Still love me, well at least my food anyways? K, good! 😉

The next day this pasta salad was the only thing I could think about. I absolutely could not wait to get home and make it.  Luckily, the Fourth of July was the following weekend so I could make this as it serves a crowd.  As I said before, I tried to recreate this as best I could.  Pretty sure I nailed it as it was quickly devoured at our Fourth party and I had a few requests for the recipe.

So without further ado, here is my version of Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad aka “Junk Pasta Salad”

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Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad

Prep 10 mins

Cook 10 mins

Total 20 mins

Author Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Yield 24

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad features Italian flavors paired with garden vegetables, rotini, salami, and mozzarella. This pasta salad tastes great, feeds a crowd an comes together in a snap. Perfect for your next picnic, pot luck or BBQ.

Ingredients

• 2 Boxes Better Crocker Suddenly Salad, class recipe
• 5 Tablespoons EVOO, divided
• 8 Tablespoons of water, divided
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper,chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup giardiniera, drained (I used hot)
• 1/2 roasted red peppers, in a jar, chopped
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and liquid reserved, chopped
• 8 ounces mozzarella pearls
• 4 ounces salami, diced
• 3 Tablespoons of oil from sun dried tomatoes

Instructions

1. In a medium sauce pot, start by boiling 1 1/3 cups of water. Add your pasta, from the Suddenly Salad box, and gently boil until noodles are cooked. About 10 minutes. When the noodles are done cooking, drain but don't rinse, and place into a large bowl.
2. While the pasta is cooking, combine seasoning packets from Suddenly Salad with 4 Tablespoons of EVOO and 6 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
3. Combine ingredients from yellow pepper through salami to large bowl with the noodles. Pour the seasoning packet mix and toss to combine. Add sun dried tomato oil and 2 tablespoons of water. If mixture seems dry, add 1 tablespoon of EVOO. (I did end up adding this to mine)
4. Chill for at least 2 hours to give the flavors time to meld.

Courses Pasta

Cuisine Side Dishes

Just look at that scrumptious bite. I wish I was having some right now.  Do you now fully understand my love affair with this salad?  Everything but the kitchen sink pasta salad blends together so nicely and delivers mouth-watering bites.  As said before, it’s quick to whip up and serves a crowd which is perfect for entertaining. Also, no mayonnaise, so it’s perfect to take along on a picnic on a hot summer day.

Enjoy and if you make this recipe, please share a photo on social media and hashtag it #strawberryblondiekitchen  I love to see your versions!