One of our favorite summer activities is going to the farmer’s market and picking out fresh produce for the week. We love grabbing bunches of fresh herbs and colorful veggies, usually with our little helper having a nibble along the way! At the end of the week, I like to throw together easy summer salads and pastas with whatever we have left in the fridge. The other day I made the yummiest pasta salad and I’m regretting I didn’t have a picnic to go to immediately after! This easy summer pasta salad recipe would be perfect for any summer get-togethers, even the 4th of July! I think what I love most about it is the taste of the balsamic-glazed zucchinis, with the salty asiago cheese, and the lemon basil vinaigrette. It’s such a refreshing combo and just screams summer. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!!
An Easy Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
- 1 pound bowtie or fusilli pasta
- 1 ½ cups peas
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 zucchinis trimmed and chopped into ½ inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 big handfuls of spinach
- 3 ounces grated asiago cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup basil leaves loosely packed
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 leaves of basil sliced or torn
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Make dressing below and set aside.
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Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in pan. Add zucchini and cook until brown, about 5 min. Add garlic, balsamic and a pinch of salt. Cook for an additional 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
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Boil pasta according to instructions on bag. Add peas when the pasta has about 3 minutes left to cook. When finished, strain and run under cold water to stop cooking.
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Add pasta and peas to a big bowl and add zucchini, spinach and grated asiago cheese. Pour dressing on top and stir to combine. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Top with torn basil leaves.
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Whisk garlic with Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Pour in olive oil, while whisking constantly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and then stir in basil. Leave aside to set until ready to use.
I hope you all enjoy this pasta salad recipe as much as we did! I’m definitely looking forward to our next summer potluck because I know just what I’ll be bringing!
xox
P.S. Check out more recipes on the blog! I’ve also been pinning some recipes I’ve been hoping to try on Pinterest. I loved this healthy pesto zucchini noodles with spicy shrimp recipe, especially because it takes less than 15 minutes! And here’s our go-to summer salad that we seriously crave nonstop. If you need a dinner idea for tonight, both of those would work great together!
