my go-to summer pasta salad

as the weather gets stronger, so does my affinity for pasta salad.

refreshing, light, colorful — i could go on for hours on why i love pasta salads. but instead of explaining it, i’d rather show you. it’s so quick and versatile, you’ll find meal prepping has never been easier.

key components

here is everything you’ll need:

• 2 cups short pasta – i chose to use rotini in the photos just because that’s my fav short pasta shape, but i’d recommend going with a spiral shape of some kind!
• 1 cucumber – it’s best to use an English cucumber for that fresh taste!
• 1 red bell pepper – other colors like green or yellow would work texture-wise, but the taste will differ slightly from the sweetness of red bell peppers
• 1 8.75 oz can canned sweet corn – make sure to use the whole kernal kind. you can also use fresh corn, removed from the cob!
• 8 oz mozzarella balls – i couldn’t find mozzarella balls when i made this in the vlog so i diced a block of fresh mozzarella LOL
• handful of spinach arugula mix – use as much as you like!

the “dressing”

to season the pasta veggie mix, you only need 3 ingredients: pesto, balsamic glaze, and red wine vinegar. the pesto + balsamic combo (along with the fresh mozzarella) is inspried by classic caprese flavors. it’s definitely go-to combination for me when it comes to salads, wraps, sandwiches and more! when i first made this salad, i only used pesto and balsamic glaze, but when i tasted it something was missing. that’s when i added in the red wine vinegar for a tart punch.

this is why i highly recommend tasting the salad as you go! especially when it comes to adding the sauces, since pestos and balsamic glaze can differ in taste by the brand, add a little at a time and adjust to your prefered ratio. the measurements for this recipe should be used as more of a “suggested” amount than an ultimatium.

tips to getting it right every time

as a “seasoned” pasta salad chaf, here are some tips i’d like to point out!

taste as you go – as mentioned above, i cannot recommend this enough!! especially with things like the pesto, balsamic glaze and vinegar, you can adjust the ratios to best suit your taste.

adjust for dietary needs – the beuaty of pasta salads is that you can switch out ingredients as you need and add more in to best suit your diet! want to make it vegan? replace the mozzarella with vegan cheese or omit it completely. need more protein? chop up soe boiled eggs, or add in a cup of chickpeas!

make in bulk for easy meal prep – since we are using fresh veggies, it is best to consume within 3-4 days. however, those 3-4 days are going to be some of your favorite leftover experiences ever! since it’s a salad, box it up and take it to the office for those days that the microwave is busy. or store some in your freezer for up to a month!

how-to:

prep work — bring a large pot of water to a boil. in the meantime, wash and prepare your vegetables: dice the cucumber, remove stem and seeds from bell pepper and dice, drain corn.

cooking — only cooking required is to cook your pasta according to its package! drain then add to a large mixing bowl along with the veggies, pesto, balsamic glaze, and red wine vinegar. give it a good stir.

serve — chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or serve immediatly!

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