Pasta Salad Recipe for Quick & Easy Lunches!

At the beginning of the summer I was so excited to eat pasta salad all season. With a variety of veggies fresh from the garden I couldn’t wait to have it on a regular rotation. Well, the garden harvest has been late this year and not having the right vegetables on hand made this Summer Pasta Salad move to the back of my mind. But now that I am finally getting some ripe cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden I am so excited to put it back on the menu!

In the summertime I try not to use the stove or oven when it’s hot out, so this pasta salad recipe is great to make a large batch of to keep in the fridge. Lunchtime is always a struggle in this household, so I love having this in the fridge for a quick and easy lunch that’s on the table in minutes. Whenever I have the mental energy to think ahead I make the noodles the night before, or first thing in the morning. The noodles are the perfect temperature by lunch time to make a big bowl of this Summer Pasta Salad. With a jar of the homemade dressing, made with oregano and garlic from the garden, this salad is the perfect lunch full of summer garden flavor! 

How to make Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients for Dressing

1. 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2. 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. 1/2 tsp pepper
5. 1/2 tsp fresh Oregano, chopped
6. 1 Clove of Garlic, finely minced

Ingredients for Summer Pasta Salad

1. 1lb Rotini Pasta
2. 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3. 1 cup Cucumber, chopped
4. 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
5. 1/2 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese or Blue Cheese
6. 6 oz sliced Salami, chopped 

Instructions for Summer Pasta Salad

1. Cook pasta per instructions on package
2. Drain pasta, add to a large bowl and coat with 2 Tbsp of olive oil to prevent sticking
3. In a separate bowl or jar mix together ingredients in separate jar to make the Homemade Dressing
4. Let the pasta cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour
5. Let the Homemade Dressing sit in the jar for at least 1 hr to really infuse to oregano and garlic
6. After you have patiently waited the one hour coat the cooked and cooled pasta in the Homemade Dressing, I used about 1/3 cup of the dressing, you can use more or less based on your taste
7. Add your vegetables, cheese and salami to the pasta
8. Toss, taste & enjoy! 
9. Store leftovers in fridge for 3 days – opened salami can go bad quick, boo. 

For the purpose of this recipe I have only included the ingredients I used for this specific recipe. However, there are so many different ways you can enjoy this Summer Pasta Salad with whatever vegetables you may have on hand. Peas & radishes would make a lovely spring time pasta salad. Maybe even add a small peach in there for some sweetness! There are all sorts of combinations that you can pick from your garden that would be absolutely lovely in this salad! What ingredients would you add to this pasta salad?