I love pasta. It’s inexpensive, you can make a large amount to have leftovers for lunch and it’s always satisfying. But in the summertime I like to take it a little lighter. A little brighter. A little less….saucy. Pasta Salad.
We usually buy a spice packet from the grocery store to make our pasta salad dressing but last time we looked they didn’t have it. I thought ‘screw the packet, I can figure it out’. And so I did, and it was very similar to our wee packet-ed favorite.
The main flavors of the dressing are lemon and garlic. YUM. How could you go wrong with these flavors coming through?
Then I chopped up all the green stuff we had on hand. You could use pretty much any of your favorite veggies here. Carrot, cauliflower, radishes or zucchini would all work well.
Time for some color and protein! You could swap out your favorite bean for chic peas but I really love the texture and flavor of the good old garbanzo.
This is a staple pasta salad recipe at our house over the summer!
I hope you enjoy this Pasta Salad Recipe as much as we do! It’s also an easy gluten free dinner recipe – all you need to do is swap out the standard pasta for your favourite gluten free version!
Fresh Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
This is easy to make gluten free with your favourite gluten free pasta choice
Ingredients
- 100ml Vinegar
- 200ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Lemons - juiced
- 2 Lg Cloves Garlic - mashed
- 1tbsp Thyme
- 1tsp Oregano
- 1tsp Rosemary (finely chopped)
- 1tsp Celery salt
- 1tsp Black pepper (to taste)
- 4-5 cups Pasta (I like rotini) cooked, drained and cooled
- 4-5 cups Chopped veggies
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 can Chick Peas - drained
- Feta Cheese - crumbled (to taste, optional)
- Sunflower seeds - (to taste, optional)
Instructions
Cook pasta, rinse and set aside to cool. You may wish to toss with a tiny bit of oil to prevent it from sticking as it cools off.
Mix oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and herbs in a bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.
Chop your veggies, rinse your peas. Set aside.
In a large bowl (LARGE...makes it easy for mixing up) combine pasta, veggies, peas and tomatoes. Pour dressing over the works and toss well. Cover your bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The longer you can let it sit, the better. While it's in the fridge all the flavors will be mingling with the oil and pasta. I like to take it out once an hour and stir it up before replacing in the fridge.
When you're ready to serve, top with crumbled feta and a spoonful or two of sunflower seeds.
Eat and enjoy!
Serves 6
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6-8 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 240
Looks delish! I’m going to try this with Paige, so just loves pasta salads!
Your photos are amazing. I can tell you put a lot of work into this post. LOVE IT!
This looks so good! Love the photos too, they’re making me hungry!
That looks yummy! I’d only have to take out the tomatoes. Hubby is the only one in the family that will eat them. 🙂
Yummy! It looks so fresh and amazing. I will have to make some this week.
That’s a great summer dish! I try to get my family to eat pasta salads, but they suck, I mean they’re picky.
YUM!! I’m always looking for new recipes to try. Thanks for sharing this!
That pasta salad looks really good.
That looks soo good I am going to have to make it!~
You and Kathleen have the best recipes. Im bookmarking this one.
Oh my goodness that sounds so tasty. Now I want some pasta salad. Geez, why did you do that to me? LOL… Ship me some the next time you make it. 🙂
Chick peas and grape tomatoes are a staple around my house. I also use them in my pasta salads & love it!
absolute perfection is great tasty
Made this ahead to bring for a wonderful well deserved lunch break. It was moving day for our daughter. This salad with homemade sandwiches was such a success. Everyone loved it.Thanks
I’m so glad it went over well Joanne! Thanks for letting me know it worked for you 🙂