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Summer Pasta Salad with Veggies

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This summer pasta salad boasts a variety of colorful veggies and herbs mixed into bow-tie pesto pasta. This refreshing salad is simple to make. It’s healthy and delicious with a beautiful presentation.

📌 PIN SUMMER PASTA SALAD WITH VEGGIES

Homemade Pasta Salad

🧑🏼‍🍳 WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SUMMER PASTA SALAD

  • This dish is easy to make. It’s a great alternative to a classic (and possibly boring) pasta salad.
  • It’s fresh and healthy. It’s also beautiful, colorful and tasty.
  • This recipe is extremely versatile. Use whatever type of veggies you have on hand. If desired, add in some red onion or matchstick carrots, or a protein like chicken or steak.
  • It can be served and enjoyed as a main dish or side. It’s perfect for potlucks, picnics and backyard gatherings.
Summer Pasta Salad

🛒 Ingredients

  • Bowtie Pasta
  • Basil Pesto
  • Sun-dried Tomatoes
  • Kalamata Olives
  • Feta Cheese
  • Roasted Red Bell Pepper
  • Grilled Corn
  • Zucchini
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Fresh Basil
  • Olive Oil
  • Freshly-ground Black Pepper
  • Kosher Salt
  • Pine Nuts
Veggies for Summer Pasta Salad

🌽 How to Grill Corn FOR PASTA SALAD

For most of us, corn on the cob is an all-time favorite veggie. When making a fresh summer pasta salad, I love adding in some (slightly-charred) grilled corn kernels to the mix. They contribute delicious flavor and texture.

Here are step-by-step instructions for grilling corn on the cob.

  • STEP 1: Remove corn husks and all silk fibers. Brush the corn with a little olive oil. Sprinkle each cob with salt and freshly-cracked pepper.
  • STEP 2: Wrap each corn cob in a piece of foil just one layer thick.
  • STEP 3: Grill for 20-25 minutes, turning the corn every 4-5 minutes so all sides are grilled. Remove the foil and place the corn straight on the grill. Rotate the cobs until all sides have char marks. Remove from grill.
  • STEP 4: If desired, slather freshly-grilled corn with melted butter.
How to Grill Corn on the Cob

📖 HOW TO MAKE SUMMER PASTA SALAD WITH VEGGIES

  • STEP 1: Boil the pasta in heavily-salted water until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  • STEP 2: Fold pesto sauce into the noodles.
  • STEP 3: With a sharp knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob. Add the kernels to the bowl.
  • STEP 4: Add in cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, thinly-sliced grilled bell pepper, and sliced basil. Gently fold them in.
Pasta Salad Recipe
  • STEP 5: Transfer the pasta salad to a wide serving platter. A large surface area will best display the beauty of the fresh ingredients.
  • STEP 6: With a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini from top to bottom in long wide strips. Holding the ends of a strip, gently twist it into a corkscrew shape. Arrange the twisted zucchini ribbons on top of the salad for an elegant look.
  • STEP 7: Lightly drizzle olive oil over the top. Season with freshly-ground black pepper and a coarse salt like Maldon sea salt flakes.
  • STEP 8: Sprinkle pine nuts over the surface. Add a few fresh basil leaves. Your summer salad is ready to serve and enjoy.
Healthy Pasta Salad

👩🏻‍🍳 RECIPE FAQ

How much pasta salad per person?

One pound of pasta can feed four adults when served as a main course. As a side dish, 16 ounces of pasta will feed six to eight people.

Can pasta salad with veggies be made in advance?

In general, it’s best to serve pasta salad the same day you make it or within 24 hours. After that time, the veggies in the salad will go limp and the texture of the pasta may be soggy.

What to serve with pasta salad?

Sliders, steak, chicken, spicy grilled lime shrimp, baked potatoes, rustic artisan bread, Parker House rolls, and garlic hummus.

Summer Veggie Pasta Salad

🥗 MORE Summer SALAD RECIPES

Summer Pasta Salad

RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flavor testers rated this the BEST summer pasta salad with veggies. They loved the colorful veggies and herbs folded into bowtie pasta with pesto. They said the flavors and textures were amazingly delicious.

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com
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Summer Pasta Salad

Summer Pasta Salad


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4.9 from 10 reviews

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Description

This summer pasta salad with veggies is delicious, healthy and satisfying. It features beautiful colors, textures and flavors. The perfect recipe for weekday meals and summer potlucks.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 16-ounce box bowtie pasta, cooked al dente (according to package instructions)
  • 1 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, grilled and sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 2 ears grilled corn, kernels sliced off the cob
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • Garnishes: fresh basil leaves and pine nuts

Instructions

  1. Add cooked pasta and basil pesto to a large mixing bowl. Toss until the pasta is well coated.
  2. Add in feta cheese, Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, grilled red pepper, grilled corn kernels, and halved cherry tomatoes. Fold these ingredients into the pesto pasta.
  3. Transfer the pasta salad to a large serving platter. Arrange twisted zucchini ribbons within the body of the salad. Add a few additional cherry tomatoes and pieces of grilled corn on the surface.
  4. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly-ground pepper. Add a bit more feta cheese.
  5. Garnish with basil leaves and a generous sprinkling of pine nuts.
  6. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Lunch, Dinner, Party, Potluck
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American, Italian
Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com

SUMMER PASTA SALAD with veggies 👉🏻 join the convo

Do you enjoy shopping at farmers markets for fresh summer veggies or growing your own at home? What do you think about this healthy and delicious summer pasta salad filled with colorful ingredients? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation in the comments below!

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32 Comments

  1. This was good but despite so many yummy ingredients, we found it needed something to lift the taste. Adding a good splash of lemon juice helped.






  2. This looks really delicious. We’re planning to have this tonight with some hamburgers. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I am so excited.

  3. I really enjoy eating salads in the summer versus heavier meals. This salad has lots of delicious ingredients, I can’t wait to taste






  4. That pasta salad looks super good! It’s like, two of my favorite healthy meals in one. Thanks for sharing with us your recipe. :)

  5. Love this salad! Its serious summer perfection, here! I might need to schedule a BBQ party just so I have an excuse to make this!






  6. I love how pasta salads are so versatile and can practically be made with anything in your pantry that go together, plus the colours are so pretty. I love corn in salads.

  7. This pasta salad looks so great, and I love that it is flexible enough to use whatever I have on hand from the garden that day!