Summer Pasta Salad

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✨ Pasta salad is a complete meal in one bowl. You’ve got pasta, veggies, and so much flavor packed in every bite.

✨ From start to finish, this easy pasta salad comes together faster than ordering takeout. Perfect for those moments when you’re thinking, "What to make for dinner?"

✨ It’s great for meal prep. The pasta salad stays well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also keep all the ingredients and the dressing prepped, and mix when you need.

✨ Super versatile! Add any veggies you have in the fridge, mix in cheese, meat, tofu, or even paneer for a protein boost.

✨ The salad also makes a great side dish for picnics, potlucks, and cookouts. It travels well and doesn't wilt. Something quick, light, and satisfying.

Ingredients For Pasta Salad

Pasta: I like to use fusilli for this simple pasta salad recipe, but feel free to use any pasta you prefer.

Fresh Veggies: A good thing about this easy summer pasta salad is that you can use any variety for color and crunch.  For me, red and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, onions, and cherry tomatoes add a beautiful rainbow of colors.

Herbs: Fresh parsley brings the pasta to life. Use basil for the vinaigrette.

Garlic: For that robust flavor!

Balsamic vinegar is sweet and tangy and balances everything perfectly.

Lemon: Freshly squeezed juice for brightness.

Oil: A good-quality extra virgin olive oil makes the best summer pasta salad.

Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.

Variations

Add cheese: My go-to cheeses here are Gouda, sharp cheddar, crumbled feta (like I used in my Greek salad), or Parmesan (like in my Italian salad dressing). You can also use mozzarella, like in my Italian tortellini pasta salad.

Add protein: Add some crispy tofu, grilled chicken, prosciutto, or salami to make it more substantial. I also love adding chickpeas, as I did for this smashed chickpea salad and my roasted sweet potato chickpea salad.

Use different vegetables: Broccoli, snap peas, corn, artichoke hearts, or zucchini all work beautifully.

For creamy summer pasta salad, try the dressing I made for my creamy cucumber salad with Greek yogurt. Pickled onions, kalamata and green olives, and marinated tomatoes make the easy light pasta salad so flavorful!

How To Make Summer Pasta Salad

Step 1: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta as per the directions. Drain, rinse well, and keep aside.

Step 2: Add chopped basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a food processor or blender.

Step 3: Pulse until the ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Step 4: Combine the cooked and cooled pasta, sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, onions, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.

Step 5: Pour in the basil vinaigrette. Mix well. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Step 6: Sprinkle parsley, cover, and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.

How To Serve

I love this salad with balsamic basil vinaigrette, which I also used in my apple walnut salad. But it's also wonderful with this sriracha vinaigrette that I made for my red rice mango salad.

Pair it with other fresh salads like watermelon feta salad and peach mozzarella salad for a bright, refreshing spread.

It also works as a side for lunch and dinner. I love it with my mushroom quiche, sticky sesame cauliflower, crispy baked chicken nuggets, or these spicy millet stuffed tomatoes.

Or keep it simple and serve the cold pasta salad with any of my easy homemade breads, like this crusty no-knead bread, super easy no-knead focaccia, or Olive Garden bread sticks.

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