Vegetable Pasta Salad

Lunches can be quite a predicament. Hardly anyone has the time to actually prepare a lunch unless it’s a sandwich or something as equally boring and predictable. There’s nothing wrong with a “good ol’ sammich”, but it’s nice to have a bit more interesting options too. Pasta salads are perfect and this one in particular is something I’m so happy to share with you all.

First of all, how great is it to make something in advance and not have to worry about it at lunchtime? It will last up to a week in the refrigerator and taste just as fresh as the day you made it. I couldn’t believe it myself until I had a bowl a week after I made it. It’s surprising how fresh it tastes.

It doesn’t take long to make this salad either. In the amount of time that it takes to cook the pasta, you can have all your veggies prepped, mix it all together and VOILA – Приятного апетита (Russian: Bon Apetit)!

I chose to use vegetables that pair really well together as well as stay fresh for a long time. The cute bow tie pasta is so charming, I bet your kids would love it in their lunch boxes too. 

Ingredients:

8 oz bowtie pasta

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

1 small zucchini, about 8 oz, sliced

1 corn cob, corn cut off the cob, approximately 3/4 – 1 cup

1 small shallot, sliced

salt, ground black pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 Tablespoon dry herbs (such as Italian seasoning or chicken seasoning)

Instructions:

Cook the pasta until it’s is cooked the way you like to eat it. Drain it and immediately wash it with cold water or put it quickly in an ice bath, just to stop the cooking process. Drain the pasta from the cold water and place it into a large bowl.

While the pasta is cooking, I usually prep the veggies. Yes, you can use canned corn instead of fresh corn, but it will not be as sweet and crunchy. You can also use regular tomatoes and chop them, but the salad will not stay fresh very long. It’s just fine if you serve it right away.

You can also add some cooked chicken to the salad.

Add the veggies to the same bowl with the pasta and mix to combine.

Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Pour into the pasta and mix to combine. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

You can eat the salad immediately, but the flavors will be a lot more concentrated if you let the salad stand in the refrigerator for a few hours. At this point, you might want to add more oil, vinegar, spices, etc. Serve the salad cold or at room temperature.

If you don’t eat the salad within a few hours, I always like to freshen it up with a bit more olive oil, red wine vinegar and dry herbs. Since the pasta will absorb the vinaigrette as it stands, it’s best to add more later so it doesn’t taste too dry.

Pasta Vegetable Salad

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

23 mins

 

Author: Olga's Flavor Factory

Recipe type: Sides

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 8 oz bowtie pasta
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 small zucchini, about 8 oz, sliced
• 1 corn cob, corn cut off the cob, approximately ¾ - 1 cup
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• salt, ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
• Vinaigrette:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 - 1½ Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ Tablespoon dry herbs (such as Italian seasoning or chicken seasoning)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta until it's is cooked the way you like to eat it. Drain it and immediately wash it with cold water or put it quickly in an ice bath, just to stop the cooking process. Drain the pasta from the cold water and place it into a large bowl.
2. While the pasta is cooking, I usually prep the veggies.
3. Add the veggies to the same bowl with the pasta and mix to combine.
4. Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a medium bowl.
5. Pour into the pasta and mix to combine. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
6. You can eat the salad immediately, but the flavors will be a lot more concentrated if you let the salad stand in the refrigerator for a few hours. At this point, you might want to add more oil, vinegar, spices, etc. Serve the salad cold or at room temperature.

Notes

Yes, you can use canned corn instead of fresh corn, but it will not be as sweet and crunchy. You can also use regular tomatoes and chop them, but the salad will not stay fresh very long. It's just fine if you serve it right away.

You can also add some cooked chicken to the salad.

If you don't eat the salad within a few hours, I always like to freshen it up with a bit more olive oil, red wine vinegar and dry herbs. Since the pasta will absorb the vinaigrette as it stands, it's best to add more later so it doesn't taste too dry.

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