Budget-Friendly Pasta Salad: Aldi Edition
Welcome to the first quest on Ready Player Mom! Today, we're diving into a delicious and budget-friendly recipe that’s perfect for busy moms.
This pasta salad is not only easy to make but also light on the wallet, with all ingredients sourced from Aldi. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients:
1 pkg shell pasta (Priano Bronze Cut Conchiglie) - $1.18 — this is my favorite but you can use any type of pasta you’d like
1 pkg Mama Cozzi Pepperoni (6 oz) - $2.65
1 block Happy Farms Mozzarella cheese (8 oz) - $1.75
1 pkg Genoa Salami (8 oz) - $3.09
1 can Tuscan Garden Large Ripe Pitted Olives - $2.05 (or any olives you prefer)
3 ct Multicolored peppers, chopped - $2.59
1 bottle Tuscan Garden Restaurant Style Italian Salad Dressing (16 oz) - $1.95
1 package Grape tomatoes (approx. 10 oz) - $2.09, sliced
½ Sweet onion, finely chopped - $0.65 or less
White wine vinegar (optional)
Supplies:
1 Chef Knife
1 Bowl for trash (food & packaging waste)
1 Large mixing bowl
1 6-8qt stockpot
1 Colander
Gather All Ingredients & Supplies: Start by gathering all your ingredients and supplies. There’s nothing worse than starting a recipe and realizing you’re missing something. Getting everything ready ahead of time will make the cooking process much smoother. Also, read through the entire recipe before you begin.
Cook the Pasta: Boil a large pot of water and cook the shell pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Prepare the Ingredients: While the pasta is cooking, chop the multicolored peppers, slice the grape tomatoes, finely chop the sweet onion, and cut the mozzarella cheese into bite-sized cubes. Slice the Genoa salami and pepperoni into small pieces. Add all the ingredients to your large mixing bowl.
Add Olives: Drain the olives and add them to the pasta mixture. (You can slice these or leave them whole).
Dress It Up: Pour the Tuscan Garden Italian Salad Dressing over the pasta salad and mix well to coat all ingredients evenly. You might want to add a little white wine vinegar to the container to get every last bit of the dressing into the salad—but that’s up to you!
Chill and Serve: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Enjoy!
Budget Breakdown:
Total cost of ingredients: $16.92
Servings: Approximately 16 - 20
Cost per serving: Around $0.85 - $1.06
Kid-Friendly Tips:
Set the Timer: Let the kids be in charge of setting the timer for the pasta. It’s a great way for them to get involved in the cooking process!
Cut the Cheese: Give them a child-safe knife to help cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes. (We use our own set of kids' knives for safe kitchen fun.)
Use the Vegetable Chopper: If you have a vegetable chopper, let the kids help with chopping the peppers or tomatoes.
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This pasta salad is not only tasty and satisfying but also incredibly budget-friendly. Perfect for a large gathering, a picnic, or meal prep!
Stay tuned for more budget-friendly recipes and creative ideas. Don’t forget to subscribe and join the adventure!
Game on,
Emily