Creamy Pasta Salad

A light, tangy, creamy pasta salad topped with noodles and veggies in a dressing that’s perfect for a summery pasta salad.

You can eat it as it is, or it’s perfect as a side dish for summer potluck and barbecue. Homemade pasta salad is better than any store-bought deli salad.

A few years ago, when visiting my aunt and uncle, I was lucky enough to arrive in time for dinner. (My aunt is a great cook, so I tend to time my arrival that way. On purpose?)

Speaking of Aunt Judy’s great food, have you tried her almond bars yet? Add them to your holiday baking list today!

Her pasta salad was so simple and so delicious that I had to recreate it for my family as soon as I got home.Thanks for the inspiration, Aunt Judy.

summer pasta salad

A salad with plenty of broccoli, cucumber, red pepper, black olives, and green onions. I’m a big fan of pasta dishes with a high vegetable-to-pasta ratio, so don’t hesitate to add more or switch things up with your favorite vegetables.

Adding vegetables to a pasta salad doesn’t just make it a little healthier.Vegetables add a variety of flavors, textures and colors to recipes like this. about, and often made with more vegetables than the actual recipe.

Everything is tossed in a light tangy dressing, resulting in a fresh pasta salad that literally disappears almost as fast as I can stir it together.

Recipes like this Asian pasta salad and this summer couscous salad excite my veggie lover.

Cooking the broccoli just long enough to lighten the color and soften the texture gives this salad a little something special.

That said, if you like your salad crunchy with raw broccoli, make it just how you like it. cranberry broccoli bacon salad Fantastic! ), I’ll get it if that’s what you like.

However, for this particular salad, I like to soften the broccoli a bit, as described in the recipe below.

pasta salad dressing

The dressing for this pasta salad is creamy, slightly tart, and slightly sweet, and is the perfect complement to this salad.

As simple as it is, the perfection is outstanding. A scoop of mayonnaise, a drizzle of vinegar, a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and sugar makes for a great pasta salad dressing that everyone can enjoy.

If you haven’t had a salad yet, we hope you like it as much as we do. Every time I make this salad, I keep the container in the fridge for lunch all week long.

creamy pasta salad

To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for salad

• Salad Macaroni or Ditalini Pasta
• small broccoli florets
• diced cucumber
• finely chopped red pepper
• slices of black olives
• green onion, very thinly sliced

dressing ingredients

• mayonnaise
• white wine or plain vinegar
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• sugar

Creamy pasta salad recipe how to make

1. large-scale potCook the pasta according to package directions, adding about a tablespoon of kosher salt to the water and cooking.
2. Add the broccoli to the pot just before the noodles are cooked.Boil the broccoli for about 30 seconds and add all the water to a large bowl strainer. Rinse well with cold water.
3. Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar and mix well. mixing bowl.
4. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to a bowl and mix well.
5. Add cucumbers, peppers, olives and onions and stir some more.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving.

You can also steam the broccoli in the microwave if you forgot to put it in the boiling water at the end of the pasta cooking time. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds until broccoli is bright green and just tender.

pasta salad recipe

If you love easy-to-eat pasta salads all year round, try this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad and Italian Artichoke and Tomato Pasta Salad when you’re done with the last bite of this creamy pasta salad.

Many of you are still obsessed with the spinach pasta salad I shared years ago.

Tangy Italian pasta salads are also popular.i have this greek pasta salad Try it on my list soon too. You can’t have a ton of great pasta salads at your fingertips, can you?

(First published 6/6/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/22/23}