Easy & Healthy Summer Pasta Salad

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I love eating salads in the Summer.  I had been craving a pasta salad for a while; however, I didn’t think I had the ingredients in my kitchen to make one. I was wrong!

That’s why this recipe is easy: just look in your cupboards and see what you have.

Easy & Healthy Summer Pasta Salad

Easy & Healthy Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a package of pasta (macaroni or rotini works best)
• grape tomatoes or 1-2 larger tomatoes, diced
• 1 bell pepper (any color, I had a yellow one on hand), diced
• half to 1 whole cucumber, diced
• Any other vegetables you have on hand: corn, broccoli (chopped up small), olives, small slices of carrots.
• a few slices of cheddar cheese, cut into tiny cubes (I prefer Tillamook medium-cheddar)
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup of Italian dressing (I did not have any Italian dressing on-hand, so I have included the recipe I used to make my own below***)

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta per package directions. Once properly cooked, drain pasta and allow to cool.  
2. While the pasta is cooling, chop all of your vegetables and cheese.
3. Make your salad dressing if you don’t have some on hand.***
4. After pasta is cooled, add vegetables and then dressing. Coat well.
5. Put the pasta in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to let things marinate and everything cool down.
6. Enjoy!

***Homemade Italian Dressing recipe (modified from Paleo Cupboard)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp of salt (I considerably decreased the amount of salt from the original recipe)
• a couple shakes of ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (in my opinion Costco has the best tasting and cheapest EVOO)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey

Directions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Then add the wet ingredients. 
2. Shake well just prior to adding to your salad.

Easy and Healthy Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad

This pasta salad was a hit… with my stomach! haha!  I will have to make this again.

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Written  at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com