Fresh Veggie Pasta Salad

by Lynn Peterson
(Arkansas)

Fresh Veggie Pasta Salad
1 - 16 oz bag of rainbow garden rotini (boiled till done, drained and cooled)
2 large tomoatos
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 young zucchini
2 cucumbers peeled
1 medium yellow onion
1 can black olives (drained and chopped)
2 packages Good Season's Italian dressing powder mix (Or my home made version)
1/2 cup Olive or canola oil (I mix the two)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar or lemon juice

Chop all your vegetables into small bite size pieces. Remove seeds from zucchini and cucumbers if they are too large. I buy young organic smaller ones and they are tender and sweet with very small seed pockets.
Add all of your veggies in a large bowl and add your Italian dressing powder, oil and vinegar, toss together and then add your cooked, drained and cooled pasta and mix. My husband is allergic to vinegar so I use lemon juice and I like it better, it gives a fresher taste to the veggies and not as strong as vinegar. I then use my vacuum sealer and put a nice healthy serving size into each bag and seal it up. I make about 10 bags from each recipe. They keep his entire two week run in his truck cooler or fridge. He cuts the top off and he can use the bag as a bowl then throw everything away when he done. (You can re-use the bags if you put them in the dishwasher and he cuts the tops off close to the seal, I just let him toss them because it is cheaper then him buying from a truck stop)
A healthy way to get your trucker man to eat something healthy and filling on the road. Italian dressing mix is VERY expensive so I developed my own version (you may have a favorite already)
I use
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar (I use Agave nectar)
1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper