AmerItalian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked according to directions

1/2 c. sliced black olives

1/2 c. chopped pepperoni

1 red pepper, chopped small

4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 c. Italian dressing (I used Wishbone)

When the noodles are still warm, add 1/4 cup of the Italian dressing and mix well. Stir in the olives, pepperoni, red pepper and shredded cheese until everything is combined and evenly dispersed. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving to let the flavors combine well together. Just before serving, add the remaining 1/4 cup Italian dressing and mix everything together.

(This photo is from the first time the salad was made back in 2012, before the recipe was tweaked using shredded cheese now instead of cubed.)