Easy Pasta Salad

Summer is here, meaning it is time to embrace the vibrant vegetables in a fabulous pasta salad. If you’re looking for an easy, fun dish to take to barbecues or a fun dinner at home, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. For this recipe, I’m sharing my most beloved salad dressing in this recipe, which works with everything. The taste is phenomenal and out of this world. Your family or guests will reach for seconds (and thirds!)

This Easy Pasta Salad takes less than twenty minutes to make at home. It is bursting with colours and interesting textures, a feast for the eyes. The best part about this salad is its versatility; you can use your favourite vegetables and load it with various kinds of cheese, but the one thing that must remain constant is the Parmesan salad dressing!

Brief History on Pasta Salads

Pasta Salad emerged in the United States in the mid-20th century, likely due to the difference in climate and nature of American gatherings. Cookouts and Barbecues are common in the US. One can imagine that someone concocted the idea for a Pasta Salad on a hot summer afternoon and started the pasta salad movement. Well, that’s how I imagined it.

Ingredients to Make Easy Pasta Salad

Fusilli, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Onions, Olives, Feta Cheese. Worcestershire sauce, Apple cider vinegar, Black Olive brine, White Onion Powder, Dried Oregano, Olive oil, Parmesan Cheese, Honey, Salt and Pepper.

This Mediterranean pasta salad uses fusilli with juicy tomatoes, bell peppers, thinly chopped onions, and crisp cucumbers. The briny olives accentuate the creamy feta cheese. Tossed in a delicious vinaigrette, this salad offers a blend of fresh ingredients and vibrant flavours.

The salad dressing uses Worcestershire sauce, which has many different flavours, such as clove, chili pepper, garlic, and tamarind. This composition of ingredients adds a complex depth to the taste of the salad. Apple cider vinegar has a tangy sweetness. Dried oregano, white onion powder, honey, salt, and pepper create a perfectly seasoned salad dressing.

Instructions

Cook the Pasta: Add water to a pot, add salt, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the fusilli pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Check to see if it has reached al dente consistency. Drain the pasta and add a generous amount of olive oil to coat it. This step will ensure that the pasta remains separate and does not stick together. Let the pasta cool for 10 minutes.

Create the Salad Dressing: In a bowl, add the Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil brine from the olive oil jar. Make sure it is a salt brine, not a vinegary one, as this recipe has vinegar. Add the white onion powder, oregano, grated parmesan cheese, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk well.

Cut the veggies: Roughly chop the bell pepper, slice the cucumber as shown, slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and cut the onions into tiny cubes. Add the black olives to the pasta. If you have a choice, use the olives that have had their seeds removed, as they are easier to eat. Add the salad dressing and mix up your super-easy pasta salad. Store in the fridge until you are ready to eat. It is best to consume the salad within a few hours.

What can you Serve with the Easy Pasta Salad?

This Easy Pasta salad recipe can pair with many delicious main dishes. Consider a juicy Rib-Eye steak that is full of flavour, this combination is perfect for a hot summer day. Feeling for something light, pair this pasta salad with some Grilled Fish, or Grilled Chicken.

How to Store the Easy Pasta Salad?

If you are making a large batch of pasta salad and want to eat it throughout the week. You can totally do that, just don’t add the dressing and store the washed veggies separate to the pasta. The salad dressing can also be stored in the refrigerator. Place the veggies in an airtight container. Store the cooked & cooled pasta in another Tupperware. Place the salad dressing a little container and you are good to go!