You couldn’t make a list of salad recipes without including this category! Pasta salads are the ultimate summer picnic or party dish at any time of the year – they are great to prepare ahead of time, can serve as both a side dish and main course, and are an abundant showcase for the season’s best produce .
Ingrediants for Pasta salad
- 8 ounces of rotini pasta
- 180 g of salami, sliced into strips
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (3 cups)
- 1/2 English cucumber, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, pearls or mozzarella cut in half
- 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers *, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup of Italian dressing or added to taste
Instructions for Pasta salad
- Cook the rotini according to the instructions on the package in salted water until the pasta is aldente (soda to the bite).
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients and prepare the Italian dressing.
- Add the dressing only to the portion of the salad you intend to eat. Enjoy immediately or cover and let the salad marinate for 1-3 hours before serving.
As the name suggests, this is a no-brainer. Simply whisk together the lively lemon dressing at the bottom of a large bowl, add the other ingredients and mix to create a spicy / creamy / crunchy / fresh summer heaven combination.
