For carb cravings during these warm summer months, a piping-hot bowl of pomodoro penne just doesn’t cut it. Instead, trade up for these summer-friendly pasta salads packed with a variety of proteins and fresh produce. Here are some of our favorite pasta salad recipes for summer.
Summer Greens Pasta
Refreshing, healthy, and tasty, this mixed greens and pasta combination from Food & Wine makes for the perfect summer lunch or dinner. It feeds eight and takes only a little over an hour to prepare—just the right topper to the long and fun-filled days of summer!
Summer Pasta Salad with Chicken and Grilled Peaches
This gorgeous pasta salad is the epitome of summer! Grilled peaches add the perfect touch of smoky sweetness to this dish, along with fresh herbs, colorful vegetables, mozzarella, cavatappi pasta, and chicken tossed with a zippy vinaigrette! Thanks to ready-to-eat Grilled Chicken Breast Strips from John Soules Foods, this recipe is fast, easy, and, most importantly, delicious!
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
This filling pasta salad from Half-Baked Harvest can be served warm or cold and feels like it can be a side or even the main meal! No salad is complete without croutons, and here, they add a crunchy contrast to the grilled pesto chicken, juicy corn, crispy bacon, and tender pasta!
Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Not all pasta salads need to be laden with mayo! This fresh and light (and gluten-free!) version from Foodie Crush dresses a mix of thin rice noodles and crunchy veggies in a tangy rice wine vinaigrette.
Cold Summer Zucchini Noodle Pasta Salad
Corn, feta, and blueberries?! Not only do we love the way this inventive combination of ingredients from Food Faith Fitness harmoniously creates one flavorful, veggie-packed salad, but it’s also made with spiralized zucchini (aka zoodles), to use that bumper crop of zucchini you’ve got growing.
Vegan Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
Chickpea pasta gets a colorful Thai makeover in this tangy peanut pasta salad recipe from Two Spoons. Chop up whatever crunchy veggies you have on hand (the more the merrier, in our opinion), cook up your noodles (regular or buckwheat noodles also work great here), and dress to taste. Pro tip: Sub in coconut milk for water in the peanut sauce for an extra-creamy dressing.
Asian Chicken Soba Noodle Salad
A rainbow of fresh veggies adds a toothsome crunch to this hearty, shredded chicken salad from Sweet Peas and Saffron. Made with the naturally gluten-free soba noodles, you can also sub in whole-wheat fettuccine noodles in a pinch.
Classic Pasta Salad
Got a houseful of hungry mouths to feed? Prep this Italian-inspired pasta salad from The Toasty Kitchen ahead of time and let the kids serve themselves whenever hunger hits. A bright and tangy combo of noodles, favorite pizza toppings, and a red wine vinaigrette, it’s a complete, alfresco meal.
ronald joseph colichia says
NEED MORE HOUSTON REST.????????????????