Simple Cold Pasta Salad Recipe: How to make pasta salad

With hot summer months here, this is a simple cold pasta salad recipe. Even though ingredient list looks long, you do not have to have all ingredients on hand. You can skip some vegetables/fruits or include more as per your taste. With addition of crunchy apples, cucumber and grapes this pasta salad gets great texture and interesting mix of flavors.

Preparation Time : 15 Minute
Cooking Time: Time taken to cook pasta
Serve :4 People

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup cooked Rotini pasta
2.1/2 cup cut cucumber
3.1/2 cup reddish
4.1/3 cup cut red onion (red onion taste sweeter compared to other onions)
5.1/3 cup grapes (any color grapes cut in half)
6.1/3 cup chopped apple
7.1/3 cup ripe black olive (sliced)
8.1 red tomato chopped
9. 20 grape tomato
10. 1 tbsp nicely cut coriander leaves
11.1tbsp nicely cut fresh mint leaves
For dressing
1.Olive oil as needed
2.1tsp black pepper powder
3.1tbsp lemon juice
4.1tsp sugar ( optional )
5.salt to taste

Method
1. In a  bowl wisk all dressing  ingredients and place them on side.

2. In big bowl combine all salad ingredients and mix them very well with dressing.
3. Pasta Salad is ready to serve.

If you do not plan to consume salad immediately, please cover salad ingredients with cling wrap and put them in refrigerator. When ready to eat, mix it with salad dressing.

This pasta salad makes great dish for potluck, big gatherings or outdoor picnics and barbecues.

Similar Recipes:
1. Vegetable Penne Pasta Recipe
2. Rotini Pasta in Broccoli Sauce

If you like what you are reading, do follow us on Facebook, Twitter , Pinterest or Google+.

Sending this dish to Dish It Out - Kids Friendly Dishes

Vegetable Penne Pasta Recipe

I am not big fan of pasta. However since I tried creating rotini pasta with broccoli sauce and I liked it, I made this another simple pasta dish using Penne Pasta and vegetables. This recipe contains lots of vegetables. It works great for lunch box or simple and quick dinner. Most of the vegetables are available in freeze or you can just add any vegetables available. So it can made at minute's notice.

Ingredient

1. 1 cup broccoli florets, 1/2 cup mushroom, 1/3 cup carrot,1/4 cup corn, 2tbsp cut green bell pepper,2 tbsp cut red bell pepper,2 tbsp cut black olive (this was the combination I used. You can take any combination of vegetables)
2. 1/4 cup nicely cut onion
3  2 nicely cut garlic clove
4. 3 tbsp olive oil
5. salt to taste
6. 1 tsp dry parsley
7. 1 cup tomato pure
8. 1 big tomato nicely cut
9. 2 tbs fresh parsley
10. Vegan Parmesan cheese for serving (You can find Vegan Permasan Cheese Here or skip it in recipe to make it vegan)
11. 1 and 1/2 cup Penne pasta cooked as per package instruction

Method

1.In a big sauce pan heat olive oil. Add onion and pinch of salt. Put it on medium heat and stir until row smell of onion is gone. Add garlic and stir for a minute or so. Add tomato pieces and stir for few more minutes.
2. Now add vegetables one after the another. Add the carrots first since they take longest to cook, then mushroom and then broccoli and so on. (Do not add olives yet.)
3. Once vegetables are cooked but not mushy, add pasta, tomato puree, salt,  black olive and dry parsley powder. Mix it well.
4. Transfer in serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh parsley and cheese.

   Tip

  If you like spicy add crushed red pepper.

If you like what you are reading, follow us on Facebook, Twitter , Pinterest or Google+.


Sending this entry to Pasta Please Event hosted by The Spicy Pear and Tinned Tomatoes.



and to no-waste food challenge @  Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary and Cooking Around the World.

Rotini Pasta In Broccoli Sauce

I have been making pasta for my grand-kids using store bought Alfredo Sauce and Broccoli. They love the combination. However we were looking for some change. This resulted in Vegan Broccoli Sauce using Cashew. Both my grand-kids loved this pasta. Their lunch boxes came back empty ! This is a good sauce to sneak in some broccoli if your kids don't like to cut pieces of broccoli.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cup rotini pasta
2  2 cup broccoli florets
3. 1.1/2 cup water
4. salt to taste
5. 12 cashews powder
6. 1tbsp Vegan Parmesan Cheese  (Find Vegan Parmesan Cheese Here or skip it in recipe to make it vegan)
7. 1/2tsp black pepper
8. 1/4tsp dry oregano
9. 1/4tsp dry parsley
10. 2tsp oil


Method Step By Step

1.Cook pasta as per package direction. Drain it and keep it aside. (Apply some oil to make sure they don't stick)
2. Boil broccoli in a 1 and 1/2 cup water. Add pinch of salt. (You may steam the broccoli. It is more healthier option)
3. After broccoli is cooked, puree it, add cashews powder and cheese.
4. Add black pepper, oregano, parsley in broccoli sauce.
5. Mix sauce well with cooked pasta and it is ready eat. (Adjust salt if needed)

Do you have any go-to pasta recipe that your kids love? Please leave a comment below and let me know. I would love to try out your recipe. I am always looking for new recipes that kids can take for lunchbox. Here are some other recipes for kids lunch box.




Sending to cooking with herbs event.