Summer Pasta Salad
Summertime calls for all the pasta salads and this one you don’t want to miss out on! This Summer Pasta Salad is so simple to make and a light pasta dish that you’ll love right now. All you need are less than 20 minutes to throw this together.
I love a good pasta salad in the summer! There are so many ways to switch them up and you can pack them with veggies like I did with this Summer Pasta Salad. This pasta salad is great to meal prep because it gets even better as it sits in the fridge and soaks up the lemon dressing. Not to mention, the lemon dressing is made with mostly pantry ingredients and so delicious tossed in here!
I like to saute the veggies in a cast iron skillet instead of roasting them as I feel like they can get a little soggy in the oven. Plus, who wants to turn on the oven in the summer anyways?! You can use any type of pasta here, I recently picked up this one from Trader Joe’s and love it! I also love using chickpea pasta in pasta salads for an additional boost of protein.
What you need for Summer Pasta Salad:
- Pasta
- Red Bell Pepper
- Zucchini
- Red Onion
- Squash
- Fresh parsley
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black Pepper
What you need for the dressing:
- Lemon
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Italian Seasoning
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Honey
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Sea salt
- Garlic powder
How to make this pasta salad:
- Start by preparing pasta according to package. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add ingredients for dressing. Mix to combine and set aside.
- Heat up a skillet with olive oil.
- Add veggies to saute on medium to high heat. Gently flip and saute for 4-5 minutes, not allowing veggies to get soggy.
- In a bowl, add cooked pasta, sauteed veggies and dressing. Mix to combine.
- Place in the fridge for 1-2 hrs to allow dressing to soak into the pasta salad before serving.
- Enjoy!
How to store your leftover pasta salad:
It’s best to store your leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container. I recommend keeping it in the fridge to soak up the dressing before enjoying it! It gives the best flavor! I love these containers for easy storage.
If you want to switch this salad up, try doing this:
- Add in different veggies! Or use more of one of them.
- Pair this with your favorite grilled protein or serve it as a side at your next cookout.
- Add chicken sausage or grilled chicken to mix in!
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy these on One Balanced Life:
FAQs
How long does this pasta salad last for?
This pasta salad will last in the fridge for up to 3 days! It’s even better as next day leftovers as the dressing soaks into the ingredients.
Can I add protein to this pasta?
Yes! You can add grilled chicken or chicken sausage to this pasta salad if you want. Or serve it as a side alongside any grilled protein would be delicious!
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Summer Pasta Salad
This Summer Pasta Salad is packed with summer vegetables and perfect to make for your next cookout or weeknight side dish. It's so simple and filled with flavor too.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked pasta
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 small yellow squash
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped lengthwise
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- For the lemon dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to instructions. Set aside.
- Prepare lemon dressing by combining all ingredients. Mix to combine.
- Chop up all veggies.
- Heat up a cast iron skillet with olive oil on medium to hight heat.
- Add veggies to saute. Add sea salt and pepper to season.
- Gently mix to saute for 4-5 minutes until they are still firm and not soggy.
- In a bowl, combine cooked pasta, sauteed veggies and lemon dressing. Mix to combine.
Notes
You can use any pasta that you'd like here.
