Happy birthday America! I’m back from a little hiatus due to being busy between family in town and work. Things have been so busy around here that I have forgotten what it’s like to be bored (which is a good thing I guess!). But things are finally quieter this weekend giving me time to make some food for one of my favorite food holidays of the year!
Summertime foods have always been very nostalgic for me. I have so many memories of eating potato salad, hamburgers, pies, corn on the cob, and pasta salad during the hot summer months. Of course all these foods were either at picnics or family gatherings making them taste even better.
So whenever it’s summer I get strong cravings for all the foods I grew up eating. One of my favorites was always pasta salad. I love the simpleness and the crunchiness of this salad. It’s one of my favorites to make.
Some people may find pasta salad boring or too traditional but that’s what I love about it. It is what it is and does it need to be fancied up to taste good.
Really though, making it at home makes it taste wayyyy better. You really can make it your own by adding or leaving out any ingredients you want! Personally though I think that this recipe for pasta salad has everything it should, in my humble opinion 😉
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb (16 oz) farfalle pasta
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup diced hot house cucumber
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¾ cup chopped black olives
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Dressing
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the pasta salad
- Cook pasta in salted water according to box instructions. Drain and let cool.
- Combine cooked pasta, diced peppers, diced cucumber, diced red onion, sliced tomatoes, chopped black olives, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan in a large bowl.
For the dressing
- In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify.
- Pour dressing over salad and stir to combine. Let chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
