Ninja Foodi Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Do you know what goes perfectly with just about anything??  Pasta salad!  If you make your pasta in your Ninja Foodi, it's even more perfect because it's so quick and easy!  Perfectly cooked pasta every time!

This particular pasta salad creation came to be when my husband asked for something a little different than our Ninja Foodi Pasta Salad.

I asked him what kind of pasta salad he wanted and I got a response something like "I don't care...whatever...just something different."  So I opened up the refrigerator to see what we had that would go together well.  We ALWAYS have an abundance of cheese on hand so it made sense to start there!  And...why stop at just one type of cheese...we added three.  🙂  

You'll notice that the dressing is made from both mayonnaise and Italian dressing.  The addition of the Italian dressing helps to make the Pepperoni Pasta Salad a little lighter while still being a bit creamy.  If you prefer, you can use all Italian dressing or all mayonnaise.

Tips for making Ninja Foodi Pepperoni Pasta Salad:

1. Refrigerate leftover Pepperoni Pasta Salad.  When you are ready to serve it, it may seem a little dry. This sometimes happens when the macaroni ends up absorbing the mayonnaise and Italian dressing.  If this happens, just add a little bit of mayonnaise or Italian dressing.  

2. You can use whatever type of dried pasta that you would like.  The cooking time for the pasta may vary.  As a rule of thumb, you should cook the pasta based on this calculation:  Look at the box, take the recommended time and cut it in half and then subtract 2.  For example, if the suggested cook time is 10 minutes, cut that in half to 5 and then subtract 2.  This will leave you with 3.  Cook for 3 minutes.

Looking for more recipes?  Check out some of our favorites!

• Ninja Foodi Pea and Macaroni Salad
• Ninja Foodi Potato Salad
• Ninja Foodi Pasta Salad
• Ninja Foodi ABC Green Beans
• Ninja Foodi Corn on the Cob
• Ninja Foodi Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients for making Ninja Foodi Pepperoni Pasta Salad:

• 16 ounces dried macaroni-not cooked
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sliced black olives-drained
• ½ cup pepperoni-miniature or cut in quarters
• ¾ cup fresh mozzarella cut into ½ inch pieces
• ½ cup Italian dressing
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ¾ cup diced Colby jack cheese
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups cold water

Directions to make Ninja Foodi Pepperoni Pasta Salad:

1.Pour water into Ninja Foodi liner.

2.Pour in 1 pound of dried pasta a little salt- do not stir.  Instead, "push" the pasta down so that it is covered with the water as much as possible.

3.Close Ninja Foodi pressure cooking lid and move valve to "seal" position.

4.Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.  As a rule of thumb, you should cook the pasta based on this calculation:  Look at the box, take the recommended time and cut it in half and then subtract 2.  For example, if the suggested cook time is 10 minutes, cut that in half to 5 and then subtract 2.  This will leave you with 3.  Cook for 3 minutes.

5.Once timer beeps, quick-release pressure and remove the lid.

6.Rinse pasta and let cool.

7.Combine cooked macaroni with all other ingredients together in a large bowl.  Refrigerate and serve.

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