Pasta salad is my go-to summer side dish. I just love how easy it is to throw together and add in whatever veggies you have on hand. Earlier in the season, I was able to use fresh peas from the garden along with cherry tomatoes and green onions. I also paired it with a gluten free pasta - organic brown rice pasta fusilli from Trader Joes. Any pasta will do here but this one looked good and actually held up better than other gluten free options I've tried.
Even though summer is winding down, I enjoy whipping up a big bowl of this pasta salad for easy sides for meals or a BBQ . It also packs really well for picnic lunches whether you are on the beach or on the mountain. To keep things even easier, I use our go-to salad dressing recipe as the dressing for the pasta salad. Dairy and I don't get along, so being able to keep this dairy-free is another added benefit of the recipe.
If you have more time and want to roast some veggies to throw in there, I recommend adding in some sautéed summer squash or zucchini and you can also chop up some kale or spinach and toss in as well. Endless possibilities makes for a great "everything but the kitchen sink" type dish that can be made in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
- Pasta of choice
- Veggies of choice
- Olive oil
- Red or white wine vinegar
- Italian seasoning
- Oregano
- Turmeric
- Minced Garlic
- Salt/pepper
Directions:
Cook pasta based on instructions - al dente works best for pasta salad
While pasta is cooking, chop up tomatoes, green onions, sauté any squash or shell peas to toss in
Prepare salad dressing: mix 3/4 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. red or white wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp. italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. minced garlic and a dash of salt, pepper, and turmeric. This will make more salad dressing than you need for the pasta salad so save any extra for other dressing needs during the week
Once pasta has been drained and rinsed, toss all ingredients together! Use dressing amount as desired to taste.
Enjoy! Can be eaten right away or stored for a few days in the fridge.
