1 (16 oz.) box tri-color rotini pasta
1 medium red onion, chopped (optional)
1/3 lb. hard salami, thickly sliced (about 1/8-inch or a little less)
1/3 lb. boiled ham, thickly sliced (you may only get about 2pcs, that's fine)
8 to 16 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
1 (16 oz.) bottle Kraft ZESTY Italian dressing
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. pepper, for color

Prepare pasta as directed. Drain, rinse with cold water to remove excess starch and to cool pasta - you don't want any of it sticking together until the end. I let the pasta cool the refrigerator for an hour or so. Warm/Hot pasta will melt the cheese, NO GOOD!!!

Chop onion, salami, ham and Jack cheese up. Toss it all together. You're aiming to cut your meat in squares or slivers and your cheese in more of a chunk fashion, cutting the meats differently from the cheese allows for more texture in the dish.

When pasta has cooled enough, add everything in, mixing well and saving the dressing and Parmesan until last. With the dressing, I usually mix about 75% of the bottle in and then let cool in the refrigerator for about 2 to 4 hours before mixing the last bit of dressing in.

You can make this the night before in which it turns out the BEST. I always make mine the day before, allowing it to sit in the refrigerator overnight makes all of the flavors meld together for an amazing dish at a potluck or picnic, and gives me more time so I'm not rushing making a dish the day of.

I also always bring an extra bottle of dressing to the picnic or whatever, so that you may add a little extra if they so choose, most will assume it needs more and put it on, only to warn others that it doesn't need any extra. Use common sense when you are adding the dressing, if it seems dry, add a tinge more, if it seems soaked, well you added too much, just add a little Parmesan to fix that mistake and let it be.

Remember, the salami has a salty taste, the onions quite strong, and the zesty dressing quite complimentary, but in moderation, so don't "over do" the dressing. Good Luck!!

Submitted by: Nicole Shea