Simple Summer Pasta Salad
Need a quick and fresh side dish recipe? This Simple Summer Pasta Salad is the answer. Loaded with seasonal veggies, fresh herbs and a light healthy dressing, this pasta salad is a must try. What’s great, is this entire dish only takes 30 minutes to makes too.
Perfect for cookouts, parties, or as a meal prep item to have on hand throughout the week. This simple summer pasta salad recipe is so versatile.
Enjoy this salad alongside my Chimichurri Grilled Chicken Thighs or my Easy Grilled Chicken and Peach Kabobs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with veggies. This pasta salad is jam packed with fresh healthy vegetables. They add so much flavor and texture to this recipe. After all, who doesn’t love a good crunchy veggie?
- Easy to make. In a few simple steps you can have this delicious pasta salad ready to go.
- Customizable. Feel free to customize this recipe to your liking. Add more veggies or take some out if you’re not a fan. No matter what, it’s delicious.
- Perfect to prep ahead. Prep this pasta salad ahead of time. However, I would only add the dressing once you’re ready to serve it.
Expert Tips
For this pasta salad, I used Delallo Food’s orzo pasta. It’s easy to make and has the perfect texture. You could also try their ditalini pasta for a fun and tasty twist. I like using a smaller cut pasta for this recipe because you get the perfect ratio of pasta and veggies in each bite.
Make sure you chop or dice all your veggies about the same size. This way you do not get a bite that is loaded up with one ingredient. The only two items I finely diced are the jalapeno and the shallot. That way you get a tiny taste of both without overpowering the whole salad.
Variations
Add cheese. This recipe does not call for cheese, but you could easily add some cubed mozzarella or crumbled cheddar cheese. Both would taste great.
Spice it up. For a little spice, try adding pepperoncini or another spicy pepper.
How to Make
Make the Dressing
- Combine extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Option to add some red pepper flakes for spice. Whisk well and set aside.
Boil the Orzo
- Boil a pot of water and cook the orzo according to the package. Drain off the water and set the orzo aside to cool. Drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking.
Prep the Ingredients
- Prep all of the ingredients needed.
Assemble
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked (and cooled) pasta, halved tomatoes, diced red bell peppers, diced cucumbers, corn kernels, finely diced shallots, finely diced jalapeno, and chopped fresh parsley. Top with as much or little dressing as desired. Enjoy!
Storage
- Store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Store extra dressing covered in an airtight container for up 5 days in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, any short cut pasta will work fine.
Yes! However, only add the dressing when you’re ready to serve. As the pasta will soak up the dressing over time.
Other Pasta Salad Recipes to Consider Trying
Simple Summer Pasta Salad
Equipment
- 1 pasta pot
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 6-8 ounces orzo pasta, al dente, roughly 2-2.5 cups cooked
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¾ cup cucumber, diced small
- ¾ cup corn kernels, grilled or canned will work fine
- ¾ cup red bell pepper, diced small
- ¼ cup shallots, finely diced
- 2-3 tablespoons jalapeno, finely diced
- 2-3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped small
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- pinch kosher salt, to taste
- few turns cracked black pepper, to taste
- pinch red pepper flakes, to taste, optional
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- Combine extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Option to add some red pepper flakes for spice. Whisk well and set aside.
Prepare the Pasta
- Boil a pot of water and cook the orzo according to the package. Drain off the water and set the orzo aside to cool. Drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking.
Prep the Ingredients
- Prep all of the ingredients needed.
Prepare the Pasta Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked (and cooled) pasta, halved tomatoes, diced red bell peppers, diced cucumbers, corn kernels, finely diced shallots, finely diced jalapeno, and chopped fresh parsley. Top with as much or little dressing as desired. Enjoy!
One Comment on “Simple Summer Pasta Salad”
Tastes like Summer! This salad is easy and delicious. I served it with grilled chicken, but it would go with anything. Great recipe.