Pasta Salad with Fresh Veggies
Ingredients
- 900 g pasta, such as shells, rotini or penne approx 1 large package
- 1 ½ cups olive oil
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 tbs dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbs dried italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried chili
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 large carrots
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup mini bocconcini (can be omitted to remain vegan)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese (can be omitted to remain vegan)
Instructions
Pasta
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Once cooked allow to cool, or if using fresh vegetables, I like to put the veggies in while the pasta is hot as the steam will slightly soften them.
Dressing
- Mix together the oil, vinegar and mustard until combined.
- Chop all the herbs and vegetables into bite size pieces and place into a bowl with the liquids.
- Mix together well and then add in the pasta.
- Mix again and top with any cheeses or more delicate toppings you want to add such as feta cheese or bocconcini. Enjoy!
There is nothing better on a hot summer day than to not have to turn on the oven in order to make a filling and tasty dinner. This pasta salad hits the spot when you’re searching for a meal that you can make at the beginning of the week and enjoy throughout it.
The longer that the pasta salad sits, the more the flavours will come together. In order to make sure that it stores well it is important to slightly under cook the pasta from what you would usually enjoy. The longer the pasta sits in the vinaigrette the softer it becomes. This means that if you overcook the pasta you better eat it quick since by the end of the week it is at risk of becoming a mushy mess.
Pasta Salad Variations
Pasta salad benefits from any and all fresh vegetables you enjoy. Personally I really like putting in cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lightly cooked zucchini and sauteed mushrooms. I have also tried it with fresh peas, avocados and carrots – all good! It really depends what you have on hand to add in, and the more the better.
For this I also usually add in some grilled halloumi, or small bocconcini, but to keep it vegan these can easily be left out and it is still a great meal.
As a topper to add in last minute you can also add in some of my crispy fried tofu, but only add it right before eating to ensure that they stay crispy and don’t get soggy from sitting in the vinaigrette.
If you are going to add all your veggies in without cooking them first, I would recommend adding in pasta hot. Since it hasn’t had the chance to cool yet it helps to make the vegetables a bit easier to eat, while still leaving them crunchy.
If you try this recipe out, let us know. We would love to see any photos you take of this recipe! Tag us @easyveggie.recipes on Instagram or comment down below!
