Twenty five years ago I found myself living alone for the first time in my very own apartment.

I had just started physical therapy school and was reveling in my new found independence and feeling of adulthood.

I remember scouring the grocery store aisles, amazed at the choices of things I needed to cook on my own.

I came to rely on a few pantry staples at that time, one of which was a “make at home” pasta salad.

It came in a box and you simply cooked the pasta, added the pre-packaged seasonings and a can of tomatoes, and voila – pasta salad!

There was something about the taste of this specific brand that I LOVED. I remember buying it on repeat and eating it in the backyard on warm summer days.

I finally worked to recreate the flavor at home (without the pre-packaged mix!).

Here are some notes on this Italian Pasta Salad:

• I use gluten free fusilli in this recipe but you can use any kind of pasta you prefer. My absolute favorite gluten free brand is Banza. It’s high in protein and fiber which I love!
• While I love raw broccoli in pasta salads, you could definitely substitute any raw veggie you love to give the crunch this salad needs to balance out the creaminess of the other ingredients.
• Yes, raw tomatoes would be delicious here. And yes, there is something I adore about the flavor of the canned tomatoes in this recipe (it goes back to that boxed pasta salad I loved!). If you want to keep it farm fresh, you can substitute raw tomatoes.
• I gladly cut up some leftover sharp, white cheddar cheese from my kids’ plates and sprinkled it on my salad before taking a picture. It was a delicious add in but isn’t needed at all, which is why you won’t see it in the written recipe.
• This made two servings for me, which I gladly ate myself for lunches. You can easily increase the recipe to feed more as needed.
• While I like the occasional vegetarian option for meals, chicken or even canned tuna would be delicious and an easy way to add more protein.

I devoured this Italian Pasta Salad the day I made it and am already excited to make it again soon! I hope you love it!