pastasalad2

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

 
 
Ok, friends, I’ve got you covered for the perfect Memorial Day Weekend side dish. This may surprise you, but this ridiculously simple recipe is one of my all time favorite dishes. It reminds me of summer time and being a kid. This dish was always served at every family Fourth of July barbecues, birthdays, amd block parties (god, remember those?) – basically, any reason to celebrate during the summer was an excuse to make this super delicious side dish. It’s full of juicy vegetables and big bold flavors.
 
I love recipes like this; you can really make them your own. Don’t like roasted red peppers? Add extra sun-dried tomatoes. Not a fan of feta cheese? Toss in some mini fresh mozzarella balls! This recipe is super easy and best made a day in advance. Trust me, the longer it sits, the yummier it gets! The flavors get all happy and marinate together.  
 
Just imagine: sitting in your backyard, perfectly chilled white wine in hand, and a bowlful of this delectable pasta salad? It doesn’t get any better than that!

 

Ingredients:

 
1 lb tri-color rotini pasta
1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips
1/2 cup black olives sliced
1/2 cup Spanish olives sliced in half
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes cut into strips or pieces
1, 14oz can of quartered artichoke hearts sliced in half
1/4 medium-large onion sliced very thin
3 baby cucumbers halved and sliced thin
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 container of Feta cheese
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1, 16oz bottle Italian salad dressing (any kind you prefer)
*Optional: chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

 

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and allow to cool.
2. Place the remaining ingredients (except the vinegar, dressing and feta) into a large mixing bowl . Once chilled, add the pasta.
3. Add the vinegar and about 3/4 of the Italian dressing. Taste and adjust salt to taste.
4. Crumble as much Feta as desired into the mixing bowl and gently toss to combine.
*If desired, add remainder of dressing. I like to reserve the dressing until right before I serve the salad, just in case some of the dressing gets absorbed.

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