Easy Pasta Salad
During the hot summer months, we like to eat salads for lunch and dinner. Sometimes Josh gets tired of green salads, so I mix things up with pasta salads. This easy pasta salad is one of our favorites. It is a great salad to serve at bbq’s, picnics, and pool parties.
You can use any pasta, but I like the colorful rotini noodles. It keeps the salad fun and kids love it too. I toss in as many vegetables that will fit in the bowl. Cucumber, tomatoes, green and red pepper brighten up this salad. I used Maple Grove’s Balsamic Dressing, it is a great pre-made dressing for lazy days. You can use your favorite brand or make your own dressing if you wish. I finished things off with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
If you are having a bbq for Father’s Day-this is a great side dish that all dad’s will love. We will be serving this easy pasta salad at all of our summer parties-we hope it will make an appearance at yours too! Enjoy!
Easy Pasta Salad
Yield: Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 box rotini pasta (16 ounces)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup balsamic dressing-we used Maple Grove's Fat Free Balsamic
10-15 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to tasteDirections:
1. In a large pot of boiling water with salt, add the rotini pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
2. In a large bowl, add the pasta and vegetables. Stir in the balsamic dressing until pasta noodles and vegetables are well coated.
3. Add basil, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well.
4. Serve cold.
*Note-this salad is also good with Italian dressing. Use your favorite vegetables, we like to toss in whatever vegetables we have on hand. If you want to add extra protein, feel free to add in beans or chicken.
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What a beautiful summer pasta salad – looks delicious!
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Yum! Gorgeous simple salad! Love it!
looks delicious!
Your pasta salad looks lovely. I have to admit that I get sick of green salads pretty quickly, but I know I’d love this – especially with lots of good veggies mixed in!
I do enjoy cold salads during the summer, and pasta salads are a great way to add bulk to green salads. I like this simple take on it; lends well to lots of customization!
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Made this ahead of time for Memorial Day camping and was great! Thanks for the recipe!
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