Super easy summer pasta salad – ready in 10 minutes!

Have a bunch of garden veggies that need to be used up? This is my go to summer easy pasta salad. You can customize it based on whatever you have on hand!

Jenn’s Summer Pasta Salad

I love using up vegetables from my garden as well as vegetables in my fridge that need to be used up. I’ve made so many variations this summer, the only constant is Garlic Expressions Vinaigrette Dressing.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Ingredients

  

• 2 oz uncooked pasta any shape
• 1/2 cup red cabbage
• 1 banana pepper
• 1 carrot
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• 1 oz. leftover chicken, shredded
• 3 fresh basil
• 3/4 cup fresh kale
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1 tablespoon Garlic Expressions vinaigrette

Instructions

 

• In a medium pot, cook pasta for 10 minutes. I used dinosaur pasta for this version!
• While the pasta is cooking, start chopping veggies. I used vegetables from my garden as well as vegetables that needed to be eaten from my fridge.

  I also found some leftover chicken, so I added that too!
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.
• Add the pasta to the bowl with vegetables, add Garlic Expressions Vinaigrette dressing.

Notes

I’ve made this variation of pasta salad dozens of times this summer.  It’s always great when I don’t know what to make – once I think pasta salad – I get all excited because it’s so delicious.

The STAR of any cold pasta salad I make is Garlic Expressions Vinaigrette!  Look for it the next time you are at your store. HERE IS A STORE LOCATOR LINK My store has it on the very top shelf!  And if you can’t find it – my suggestion is to order it straight from the company – if you try to order on Amazon, some resellers are charging $12 a bottle!  

If you order directly from the company – you can get 6 bottles for $26 bottles, and trust me, you will want to stock up on this.  I have been gushing over this product for over a year now and start to panic when I’m getting low.  It’s got the most delicious flavor – I’ve even tried my hand at making a homemade version, it isn’t even close, so I prefer to have the real thing! 

 

Keyword cold pasta salad, leftovers, quick summer salad

I’m on Weight Watchers – blue plan – this comes in at 8 Smart Points.

I’m also counting calories, using the Loseit.com app – and this giant bowl is only 335 calories.

Check out another favorite summer recipe of mine – orzo, feta cold pasta salad. That’s another family favorite that goes with any summer bbq or meal!

Follow me on Instagram at @jenncooks – I post there daily as well as share tips and tricks in my stories every day!

Another tip – if you can’t find the Garlic expressions vinaigrette – is your favorite Light Balsamic Salad Dressing. My favorite is Paul Newman’s – you can probably find that at your local grocery store.

This stores great if you double or triple the recipe for more than one person. I have made a big batch on Sunday and eaten it all week in the fridge. Definitely eat within 5 days.