Summer Pasta Salad

Looking for a recipe without a ton of dressing ingredients? Our delicious Summer Pasta Salad is no-fuss with a simple olive oil dressing you’ll love. 

 

Why this pasta salad works 

You might be thinking, what, just olive oil? Where’s the rest of the dressing? Some of the flavor in this wonderful pasta salad comes from crushed pineapple that plays nicely off the olive oil.

With a generous amount of fresh vegetables, this is a pasta salad that you can feel good about eating. We are in love with both this recipe and our farmer’s market Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Nutritionists say in order to eat healthier, incorporate as many brightly colored vegetables as possible into your dishes. Eating a rainbow of vegetables is definitely a fun choice!
• You can use a mixture of regular and whole-grain pasta for some added fiber and protein.
• If you’re wondering what fun add-ins you could incorporate to this already overflowing salad, try including sunflower seeds, feta cheese, bacon, or sun-dried tomatoes.
• While we give you a list of suggested vegetables in this recipe, almost any of these vegetables can be swapped out for other alternatives in their color family. 
• We used rotini noodles, but penne, macaroni elbows, or Farfalle are all good substitutes!
• I always use my herb scissors to make quick work of chopped fresh herbs.

Ingredients you will need

For the rainbow of vegetables we have chosen

Note that we did not include blue in our rainbow. If you’d like a true rainbow experience, start by calling the purple indigo, and toss in some blueberries!

• RED – cherry tomatoes (other alternatives: radishes, red bell pepper, radicchio)
• ORANGE – sweet bell pepper (other alternatives: carrot, sweet potato, orange cherry tomatoes)
• YELLOW – crushed pineapple (we don’t suggest leaving out the pineapple as it’s key to the dressing’s flavor!)
• GREEN – cucumber (other alternatives: celery, zucchini, green bell pepper, green onion)
• PURPLE – red onion (other alternatives: red cabbage, purple radish, purple bell pepper)

How to Make this Summer Pasta Salad

1. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and allow to cool as you prepare your vegetables.

2. Use a sharp kitchen knife to chop all the vegetables on a cutting board.

3. Combine the chopped vegetables, pineapple, and pasta in a large serving bowl.

4. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables, pineapple, and pasta and stir to coat with a wooden spoon.

5. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.

This easy pasta salad is a delicious contribution to a neighborhood potluck and a surefire bet for your own summer barbecue! No mayo means you don’t have to worry about it spoiling in the sun, and whole grain and plenty of veggies mean you can still indulge in dessert without feeling like you overdid it.

Notes from Jennifer

• My first experiment with putting pineapple in salad was this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad I made last year and it was delightful! An unexpected hint of sweet that worked well with the other vegetables.
• There’s no better way to get kids to eat their vegetables than making them pretty and rainbow-themed! My kids always go crazy for my healthy rainbow spaghetti.

More Recipe Ideas

• Looking for another dish to bring to your next summer potluck or party? Our KFC Coleslaw copycat recipe is always a crowd pleaser.
• Don’t forget to stop by and check out more pasta salads – Tuna Pasta Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, and Mediterranean Pasta Salad are a few to start off with!
• Be sure to try our Nana’s Macaroni Salad too!
• Sweet and tangy, and super creamy, this Amish macaroni salad is the perfect potluck take-along. This salad is easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.
• German Potato Salad is great for backyard parties or as a classic dinner side.
• Mom’s Potato Salad is simply the best! It’s always a huge hit at parties and potlucks and I wouldn’t host a barbecue without it.

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Summer Pasta Salad

Minimal dressing ingredients and maximum fresh vegetables, this summer pasta salad will be the hit of your backyard parties and holiday get togethers.

5 from 16 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 (3/4 cup servings)

20 minutes mins

Calories: 274

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb pasta cooked al dente and cooled*
• ▢ ¾ cup cherry tomatoes chopped
• ▢ 1 large orange sweet bell pepper chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup crushed pineapple
• ▢ ¾ cup cucumber chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup red onion chopped
• ▢ Small handful basil chopped
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons olive oil or to taste
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Before You Begin

• The flavor gets even better after keeping the salad in the fridge overnight.
• You can use a mixture of regular and whole-grain pasta for some added fiber and protein.
• If you’re wondering what fun add-ins you could incorporate to this already overflowing salad, try including sunflower seeds, feta cheese, bacon, or sun-dried tomatoes.
• While we give you a list of suggested vegetables in this recipe, almost any of these vegetables can be swapped out for other alternatives in their color family. 
• We used rotini noodles, but penne, macaroni elbows, or Farfalle are all good substitutes!
• I always use my herb scissors to make quick work of chopped fresh herbs.

Instructions

• Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Rinse and allow to cool as you prepare your vegetables.
• Combine the chopped vegetables, pineapple, and pasta in a large serving bowl.
• Pour olive oil over the pasta, vegetables, and pineapple and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (3/4 cup) | Calories: 274cal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

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This post originally appeared here on June 21, 2017, but has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.