Pantry Raid Pasta Salad

You can make an amazing pasta salad by simply raiding your fridge, freezer and pantry. I made this as a last-minute feast for a track meet - and I pulled out whatever I could find to create one stellar dish (plus, I cleaned out my pantry). Imagine what you could do...

Seriously, open up your fridge, freezer, pantry, and spice drawer and go to town!

Any pasta shape works: Choose what you already have; including 1/2 box of one variety and 1/2 box of another!

Raid the freezer: I grabbed frozen peas and corn, but practically any frozen vegetable works. Try green beans, mixed vegetables, bell peppers, onions, lima beans, edamame, broccoli, and more.

Raid the spice rack: I used oregano, basil, garlic, and onion. Simple enough. If you have an Italian seasoning blend, use that - it's a one-stop-shop for all the flavors I put in separately.

Raid the fridge: I had sundried tomatoes on hand (and I added a little oil from the jar to the pasta), but if I had capers, olives, red or green onions, celery, or fresh tomatoes, I would have added those too!

Pantry Raid Pasta Salad

1 pound spiral pasta, or any pasta shape of choice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas, keep frozen until ready to use
1/2 cup frozen corn, keep frozen until ready to use
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the oil, vinegar, oregano, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Fold in the sundried tomatoes, peas, corn, and parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serves 4