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In the summertime, we love fresh and crispy chilled salads to go along with our warm grilled chicken, steak and fish. It just so happens that my organic garden is blossoming with all of the fresh produce we need to make all of the delicious vegetable dishes that we love to eat, and nothing beats fresh. It makes such a difference in both taste and texture – not to mention also being better for you.
We’ve been grilling so much that we ran out of propane. While doing a tank exchange at Walmart I picked up a few ingredients I needed for a delicious summer meal: Barilla pasta and Gold Peak Tea. Everything else was waiting for me at home in my garden bed.
The only cooking required for this recipe is to boil pasta. Because summer cookin’ should be as easy like a Sunday morning. Anyone that knows anything about pasta salad knows the cardinal rule – don’t overcook the pasta. You don’t want a big pile of mushy pasta but you do want to keep the pasta as al dente as the veggies are crisp. Do this by draining the pot as soon as it’s done and immediately chillin the pasta by continuing to give it ice water baths until you have cold pasta. Barilla (in the blue box) is the only pasta we buy.
We discovered Gold Peak Tea a few years back when on vacation, and I was so excited to find it at Walmart. It comes in several different flavors but ultimately I chose to buy green tea. It is lightly sweet and refreshing all on its own so there is no need to ever add anything, but I like to drop a fresh lemon slice in my glass to be fancy.
The herbed balsamic dressing adds a nice bite to this salad, and it comes together very easily. We should all make our own dressing more often!
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar of modena
- 2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- handfull of fresh basil leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. Barilla rotini pasta
- 1 yellow zucchini chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- pint grape tomatoes, quartered
- 10 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced and chopped
- In a blender, add vinegar, mustard, garlic and herbs.
- Blend to combine ingredients.
- Turn blender on low and slowly add the olive oil.
- Set aside
- Cook pasta and drain.
- Fill the pot with cold water and ice until the cooked pasta becomes chilled.
- Add ½ cup of dressing to the chilled pasta and mix well.
- Gently mix in fresh veggies and cheese until combines.
I’m doing this at hop at 11pm and seeing this pasta salad makes my stomach grumble!!!
Oooo this pasta salad sounds absolutely delicious!!!! I will have to give your recipe a try
I LOVE pasta salad! I need to try your recipe out! We add lots of balsamic vinegar dressing – that’s the best part!
This is the kind of pasta that I love. My husband and kids love the one with a little bit of meat.
Gold Peak Tea is what we have been drinking a lot this summer from Walmart. The vegetarian pasta salad I will have to try making for the family. It sounds like a pasta salad they will love. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
This pasta salad is perfect for the next bbq we have. I love homemade dressing, it’s so much better than store bought.
Oh what a neat twist on pasta salad! I have got to try this recipe this weekend.
This looks super yummy, I am going to try to make it. I am a sucker for pasta dishes and this vegetarian pasta salad is just what I want on this fine summer day!
The pasta looks so delicious and easy to make! Can’t wait to try it out
Now, thats some tasty treat you have made there. i’m definitely going to make this when i have time