Summer Pasta Salad Recipes

Serving a cold pasta salad makes a whole lot of difference to the everyday meal. You can try this summer recipe as a flavorful side dish or light meal. Loaded with vegetables, healthy summer pasta salads are best served after chilling for 4 - 8 hours in the refrigerator.

While using ham or chicken, make sure that the vegetable quantity is more than the meat amount. That way, you can enjoy the taste of the pasta without compromising on the nutritional value.

Ingredients

• Italian dressing: 1 (8-ounce bottle)
• Black olives: 1 can
• Cooked spiral pasta: 12 ounces
• Chopped mushrooms: 1 cup
• Broccoli, chopped: 1 cup
• Shredded carrots: ½ cup
• Shredded cheddar: ½ cup
• Shredded mozzarella: ½ cup

Preparattion:
This is one of the easiest summer pasta salad recipes with Italian dressing for those who love italian pastas. You can easily try them at home. All you need to do is combine all the ingredients (except pasta) in a large mixing bowl.

Toss well and cover the lid. Let it rest in the refrigerator to bring out the best flavor of the ingredients. Add cooked pasta, one hour before serving, and mix with a wooden spatula. Chill for another one hour and serve.

Ingredients

• Black olives, sliced: 2 cans (2 ounce)
• Penne pasta: 1 packet (16 ounce)
• Catalina salad dressing: 1 bottle (16 ounce)
• Cucumber, chopped: 1

• Tomato, chopped: 1
• Green bell pepper, chopped: 1
• Baby carrots, chopped: 1 cup
• Italian style salad dressing: 1 cup
• Distilled white vinegar: 1 cup
• Onion, chopped: ½ cup
• White sugar: ½ cup
• Celery salt: ½ teaspoon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• In a large pot, add water and a pinch of salt.
• Bring it to a boiling temperature and add the pasta.
• Cook until the pasta turns soft or is done. You can cook the pasta according to the directions mentioned on the package.

• Drain and keep the cooked pasta aside. Take a small saucepan and add vinegar and sugar.
• Allow the mixture to boil for 2 minutes and then keep it aside.
• Now, let's work on the salad dressing part. For this, combine together Catalina dressing, Italian dressing, and vinegar mixture.

• To this, add pasta, cucumber, olives, tomato, baby carrot, bell pepper, and onion.
• Season with celery salt, table salt, and freshly ground pepper.
• Toss the salad for an even coating and serve.

Ingredients

• Large tomatoes, chopped: 5
• Green bell peppers, chopped: 2
• Red bell pepper, chopped: 1
• Rotelle pasta: 3 cups
• Shredded mozzarella cheese: 1 cup
• Red wine vinegar: ¼ cup

• Extra virgin olive oil: ¼ cup
• Chili powder: 2 tablespoons
• Dried parsley: 1 teaspoon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Preparation

• In a large cooking pot, add sufficient water for boiling pasta and sprinkle a dash of salt.
• Bring the water to a boil and add pasta. Continue boiling for 8 - 10 minutes or according to the stipulated time mentioned on the package.

• Next, drain the water and keep the pasta aside.
• Now, take a mixing bowl and mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, and chili powder.
• To this spicy concoction, add tomatoes, red pepper, and green pepper.
• Using a spatula, stir the mixture well to evenly coat the vegetables with the oil mixture.

• Then, add the cooked pasta and shredded cheese.
• Toss well and chill before serving. You can alter the ingredients of the recipes to suit your taste buds.

The ideas for a summer pasta salad are endless. You can add your favorite vegetables, like green peas, shredded cabbage, and squash. The only trick to make flavorful salads is marinade them for a few hours before serving, preferably in a chilling temperature.