Imagine this: It's the evening before Thanksgiving, and disaster strikes.

One of your planned side dishes has flopped, or maybe you've just realized there's not quite enough to go around. Or, perhaps you've been invited to a last-minute gathering and need a dish that's quick, simple and sure to impress.

Enter, pasta salad: a versatile, crowd-pleasing option that's as easy to make as it is delicious. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, you can whip up a dish that's festive, flavorful and ready to save the day.

While it's often thought of as a summer dish, pasta salad can be enjoyed year-round — especially when paired with classic holiday favorites like deviled eggs.

Ingredients I started with for a quick pasta salad to write this article. Before I had finished cooking, I added chopped carrots, grated Parmesan, a …

What makes pasta salad such a great option? Its versatility. It's limited only by your imagination, the ingredients you have on hand and your taste preferences. Whether you need a side dish for Thanksgiving or a last-minute contribution to a holiday party, pasta salad can be made quickly and tailored to suit any occasion. For example, while making this pasta salad to write this article, I suddenly remembered I had extra carrots and decided to throw one of those in. As I like foods rather tart, I also sprinkled a bit of dill as I had extra leftover from another dish.

For a festive twist, this recipe swaps traditional pasta for tortellini, which adds color, flavor and texture. Using pre-made dressing, like Olive Garden's Signature Italian Dressing, makes the process even simpler, but feel free to use any vinaigrette you have on hand or even make your own. If you're looking for a local touch, Vitolli's Creamy Italian Dressing from Vitolli's Pizzeria & Italian Eatery in Robertsdale is a delicious option.

This pasta salad can be served over a bed of fresh greens, such as a spring mix, which adds additional color, texture and nutrients. It's entirely optional, but it's a quick way to elevate the dish with minimal effort.

Tortellini takes about 10 minutes to cook.

LAST-MINUTE FESTIVE PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-ounce) box Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortellini
• 1 (24-ounce) bottle Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing (for a smaller batch, a 16-ounce bottle works)
• 1 small red onion (or ½ if you prefer a milder flavor)
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 large carrot (or 2 medium carrots)
• 1 (10-ounce) container cherry or grape tomatoes
• Shredded or cubed cheese (parmesan or smoked gouda are both excellent choices)
• Nuts or seeds (optional, such as slivered almonds or pumpkin seeds; you could even top with croutons)
• Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Tip: Next time you are at the Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market, make sure to stock up on produce. Then, add other mix-ins like bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, grapes, blueberries, shredded cabbage, cranberries or even cubed meats like ham or salami. If you have been following with Kitti Cooper's Cultivating the Gulf Coast column and have fresh herbs or fruits, use them here. Herbs like basil, parsley or dill, or a squeeze of fresh lemon or even satsuma, will also complement the dish nicely. If you like to spice things up, add red pepper flakes or sliced jalapenos. The beauty of pasta salad lies in its flexibility, so get creative.

While the tortellini was boiling, I washed an chopped my veggies in preparation.

Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the tortellini according to package directions, usually around 10 minutes.
2. While the pasta is cooking, wash your veggies, then chop or grate the veggies and cheese.
   1. Slice the cucumber and cut it into wedges.
      
      • Note: You can leave the cucumber peel on, but it can make the salad bitter for some, so peel if desired.
   2. Dice the carrots into very small cubes or grate them. Quarter the tomatoes or leave them whole if preferred.
      
      • Note: The flavors of the tomatoes won't meld as well if they are not cut.
3. Drain and rinse the cooked tortellini with cool water. Let it cool slightly so it doesn't wilt the vegetables.
4. In a large bowl, combine the veggies, pasta and cheese. Pour in the dressing and stir gently until everything is well-coated. For a more hands-off approach, seal the container if it is water-tight and shake it to mix.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best to allow the flavors to meld together.

If you prefer to serve the dish in a festive way, you can spoon it over a bed of salad greens right before serving. There should be plenty of flavor and dressing from the pasta salad. Garnish with optional toppings like sliced almonds or pecans for added crunch. I had whole almonds on hand, so I sprinkled a few of those on top.

Cleanup entailed the one pot I boiled the tortellini in, a spoon to stir the tortellini while it cooked, and since everything I chopped went into the same dish and I didn't have to worry about cross-contamination, I also had one knife and one cutting board. This really is the perfect dish to make last-minute.

I would say this pasta salad serves 8-10, however, the number of servings will depend on portion sizes, amount of extra mix-ins and other factors. But the good part is pasta salad continues to get better as it sits in the fridge, so leftovers are not a bad thing. I'd suggest making more rather than less because of this.

WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH

This pasta salad can be served with any dish. It can even be eaten on its own over a salad for a light lunch or dinner. I find it goes particularly well with citrus marinated salmon, grilled pork chops or shrimp kabobs, BLTs, oven-baked sub sandwiches or split pea burgers, on the side of roasted vegetables, as a precursor to a brothy soup or on the side of Italian marinated and baked chicken breasts.

Once the cooked pasta had cooled enough so the veggies wouldn't wilt, I added it to my container of veggies. Then, I topped it wish grated Parmesan …

A FUN APPETIZER OPTION

For a creative spin, thread the ingredients onto skewers. Alternate pieces of cheese, tortellini, tomatoes and olives, drizzle with dressing, and serve. These bite-sized skewers are perfect for holiday gatherings and easy to customize based on what you have on hand. Adding fresh basil leaves would add nice Christmas color and make this even more satisfying.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

This pasta salad is a great last-minute dish for any holiday get-together. It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare from taking out a pot to boil the water to putting the pasta salad in the fridge, and cleanup is a breeze, especially since you don't need to cook or do much else other than chop or grate the ingredients. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill in the fridge!

The combination of fresh veggies, cheese and tortellini creates a colorful and festive side dish that's always a hit. It's a simple, delicious and customizable option that can be thrown together using ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Whether you serve it as a side dish or turn it into an appetizer, this pasta salad is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any holiday celebration.

By the end, I added almonds on top for a little extra crunch but pecans or cashews would be yummy too. You could even use croutons if you'd like.