Summertime Pasta Salad
My ultimate Summertime Pasta Salad recipe is a vibrant medley of fresh vegetables, perfectly textured pasta, and tangy dressing.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 tomato peeled and chopped, large
- 2 pickling cucumber or 1 large cucumber, medium
- 5 sweet pepper or 1 whole green bell pepper, small
- 1 red bell pepper roasted
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 4 basil cut in chiffonade, large leaves
- ⅔ cup Italian dressing or other Mediterranean-type dressing
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rotini according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold running water. Let the rotini drain while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- Add ingredients to a large mixing bowl as you work. Peel, chop and seed a large tomato.
- Peel the cucumbers and cut into small cubes.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the sweet peppers, chop them and add to the bowl.
- Cut the roasted red bell pepper into about 1/2” pieces and add it, too.
- Finely chop the celery and green onions adding them to the bowl with the other vegetables.
- Stack the basil leaves, roll up and cut crosswise into ribbon-like shreds. Add to the bowl.
- Add the cool, drained pasta to the bowl.
- Pour over the dressing.
- Add the salt and pepper.
- Toss everything together until well mixed.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of dressing according to your preferences, but don't overload the salad.
- Try to chop the ingredients in similarly sized pieces for the best presentation and texture in the salad.
- Adjust the amount of dressing according to your preferences, but don't overload the salad.
- Experiment with different dressings to customize the flavor.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 174
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 174kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Sodium | 417mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 302mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 862IU | 17% |
| Vitamin C | 30mg | 33% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.