This wholesome pasta salad is recent, filled with taste, and excellent for summer season cookouts or meal prep—no mayo required! Made with simply 9 easy elements, it comes collectively in minutes.
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you as a result of I do know that you’re going to LOVE this wholesome pasta salad, which is an EBF-approved model of the pasta salad my mother used to make each summer season rising up.
My mother’s conventional recipe requires Miracle Whip… which isn’t precisely EBF pleasant so I skipped it and used an olive oil-based balsamic dressing with recent basil. Apart from that the salad elements are all the identical.
And Mother will likely be comfortable to know that I left the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar within the recipe. Possibly it’s simply nostalgia, however I believe it actually does add a bit of one thing to the salad. I went with coconut sugar to maintain issues extra pure and unrefined. 🙂
Why You Gotta Strive This One
This isn’t simply one other pasta salad tossed in French dressing. It’s brilliant, herby, and filled with recent, crunchy veggies with simply the best steadiness of candy and tangy. I’ve introduced it to cookouts, meal prepped it for the week, and eaten it straight from the bowl whereas standing on the fridge. It one way or the other works for each event and all the time disappears quick.
Elements Wanted
General, this wholesome pasta salad is sort of a gem. It’s not solely straightforward to organize, nevertheless it requires solely minimal elements and tastes so recent and scrumptious. The recipe makes a ton so it’s additionally nice for serving a crowd!
- pasta – I like to recommend utilizing both penne or rotini pasta, however every other brief pasta form will work on this recipe.
- tomatoes – these little guys add such nice taste to the salad.
- cucumbers and crimson onion – for some added crunch.
- balsamic dressing – a brilliant easy dressing made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, coconut sugar, crushed crimson pepper, sea salt.
Make This Salad Your Personal
- Combine-ins: Be happy to change up your mix-ins for this pasta salad… I usually do! Typically I modify up the veggies primarily based on what I’ve readily available. Be happy to get inventive and make this your personal!
- Make it gluten-free: I’ve made this recipe earlier than with chickpea pasta for a high-protein, gluten-free choice, so that will additionally work.
- Dressing: I really like the balsamic dressing paired with this salad however any dressing would work in the event you’re in a pinch. Some choices: Greek Salad Dressing, white balsamic French dressing or lemon French dressing.
Tips on how to Make This Wholesome Pasta Salad
Step 1: Cook dinner your pasta based on the bundle directions.
Step 2: Whereas the pasta is cooking make the dressing by whisking all of the elements collectively in a small bowl.
Step 3: Add drained pasta into a big bowl with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.
Step 4: Pour dressing over the elements and stir properly to totally coat all the pieces within the dressing.
Brittany’s Recipe Ideas
Earlier than you toss all the pieces collectively, listed here are a couple of little tricks to take this salad from good to so good you’re bringing it to each cookout:
- Salt your pasta water! That is your one likelihood to season the noodles themselves. It makes an enormous distinction.
- Cool the pasta fully. Heat pasta will take up an excessive amount of dressing and might get mushy. I normally rinse it underneath chilly water to chill it down quick.
- Let it marinate. This salad really will get higher after a couple of hours within the fridge. The flavors have time to mingle and the dressing actually soaks in.
Storing Pasta Salad
To make it prematurely: You may prep the salad the night time earlier than and let it chill within the fridge till serving.
To retailer leftovers: Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container for 3-4 days within the fridge.
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Serving Strategies
This wholesome pasta salad is tremendous versatile and goes with absolutely anything. I really like serving it as a facet for summer season cookouts, picnics, or straightforward weeknight dinners. It pairs particularly properly with grilled proteins and veggies! Right here’s some concepts:
Extra Wholesome Salads
Remember to take a look at all the pasta salad recipes in addition to the complete assortment of salad recipes on EBF!
