You have to try this summer pasta salad! It is sure to be your new go to lunch for the whole family. Flavored with a zesty homemade Italian dressing, this is a great meal to make ahead too!
Our family loves to get together over some good food after church on Sundays. Sometimes, that just means meeting at our favorite local spots. However, we also just like to chill out at home and eat some delicious homemade food.
When I make this dish ahead of time, no one has to stay hungry and wait for the food prep! On a hot summer day, a cold pasta salad can be so refreshing. We love to add in fresh vegetables to make this delicious lunch healthy too.
Ready to eat pasta salad is great for moms that want to spend more time at lunch with the family without giving up the beauty of a homemade meal.
This is a well rounded meal that hits all the main food groups in one bowl, between the meat, cheese, vegetables, and pasta.
There is something so refreshing about coming home hungry and pulling a healthy meal for the whole family right out of the fridge. Even the time spent in the kitchen to make this meal ahead of time is very minimal.
Preparing the Pasta Noodles
Immediately after your noodles are cooked, strain them in the sink under some cold water. Skipping this step will make your noodles continue cooking, even if they have been strained, and that’s what causes the noodles to stick together.
Our family has played around with this recipe for years to make it just right for everyone. This recipe started out by calling for spaghetti noodles. That was eventually changed when all agreed it was much too hard to get a good bite with such a stringy noodle. Bow tie was the best noodle we found in order to grab the perfect bite with a fork or a spoon!
Preparing the Dressing
This recipe calls for avocado oil and red wine vinegar. However, you can totally switch the avocado oil for olive oil and the red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar.
In my opinion the avocado oil has more flavor and the red wine vinegar is perfectly rich. That’s just what our family prefers, but play around with it and find out what works best for you and your family.
Don’t forget to give your dressing a taste test before adding it to your salad. You may prefer to add more spices or lemon.
Tips for making Summer Pasta Salad
- As you add your deli meats, kind of crumble them in your hand and slowly add it. They tend to get pretty stuck together so try to separate them as much as you can before they make it into the bowl.
- Use any toppings you would like! The versatility of this dish is the beauty of it. Swap or add any fruits, vegetables, meats, or cheeses you like best.
- Use a store bought Italian dressing if you don’t want to spend time making your own. This recipe makes 1 cup of dressing but feel free to add as much or as little as you like!
- Add your favorite nut or seeds to add a nice crunch effect. Almonds, sunflower seeds, and pistachios are all great options.
How to freeze the pasta salad
To freeze this pasta salad, you first need to store it in an airtight, freezer safe container such as a resealable freezer bag or plastic container.
Pasta salad can keep well in the freezer for up to three months. Remember, the longer it’s held in the freezer, the more the texture of the ingredients change. So, the sooner eaten, the better.
To unthaw, take out of the freezer and place it in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
Who have you shared this dish with?
Did you make this ahead for your family lunch, or maybe for a big barbecue to share with friends? Let me know in the comments below who you’ve shared this summer pasta salad with.
Super Easy Make Ahead Sunday Summer Pasta Salad
This make ahead summer pasta salad is an easy grab-and-go lunch for the week. Make it for a summer barbecue and it's sure to be a hit! It's a classic cold pasta salad, perfect for a warm summer day.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Pasta Salad
- 16 oz bow tie pasta
- 2.25 oz jar sliced black olives, drained
- 1/2 english cucumber
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 7 oz pepperoni
- 7 oz Italian dry salame
- 10 oz Colby Jack cheese block
Instructions
Cook pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water when pasta is done.
- While you wait for the water to boil and pasta to cook, continue with the rest of the recipe.
Prepare dressing
- Combine all dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Close the lid and shake until well combined. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
- If assembling at a later time, store in the fridge with lid. Shake before adding to your salad.
Assembly
- Wash and dry your vegetables.
- Dice both bell peppers and red onion. Quarter the cucumber, then slice. Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
- Cut pepperoni and salame into fourths. Then, cube the block of cheese to desired bite sized pieces.
- Grab a large bowl. Add cold pasta, drained olives, bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, salame, and cheese. Mix until combined.
- Shake your dressing one more time with the lid on then add to your pasta bowl. Mix salad until the dressing has evenly coated all of the salad.
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