recipes 52, 53, and 54: three old school timeless pasta salad recipes

These old school/classic/timeless pasta salad recipes are simple and straight from my childhood. They remind me of back yard barbeques and family parties in the eighties. Here you go and Happy 4th of July!!

MOM'S ANTIPASTO PASTA SALAD
Ingredients:
-1 lb of spiral pasta (or really, whatever shape you like)
-sliced green olives to taste
-sliced black olives to taste
-1 small red onion, finely chopped
-1 small green pepper, finely chopped
-grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
-1/4 lb of sharp provolone cheese, cut into small cubes
-1/4 lb of salami, cubed or cut into small bites
-1/4 lb of pepperoni, cubed or cut into small bites
-enough Italian salad dressing to coat

Instructions:
1) cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, and cool
2) mix the pasta with chopped ingredients (adding more or less of any ingredient as you choose) and the salad dressing
3) refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, adding more salad dressing if needed

MOM'S TORTELLINI SALAD
Ingredients:
-7 oz frozen tortellini, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
-1 c small, fresh broccoli florets
-1/4 c chopped fresh parsely
-1 T chopped (drained) pimento
-2 scallions, chopped
-2 1/2 T chopped fresh basil
-1/2 c oil-based salad dressing of your choosing
-sliced black olives, to taste
-a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
-good parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1) mix the cooked and cooled tortellini with all ingredients except the olives, tomatoes, and cheese
2) refrigerate for at least a couple of hours and then stir in the olives, tomatoes, and cheese right before serving

MOM'S FRIEND DAWN'S GREEK PASTA SALAD
Ingredients:
-2 cucumbers, sliced and then quartered or halved
-1 large red onion, chopped
-1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
-1/2 to 1 full package of feta crumbles, to taste
-1/2 package of desired pasta
-1/2 bottle of Good Seasons or Greek salad dressing

Instructions:
-cook pasta according to instructions, drain, and cool
-mix pasta with all other ingredients and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving