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Overhead shot of an easy summer pasta salad recipe ready to serve.

Summer Pasta Salad

Jennifer
Give your tastebuds a truly refreshing flavor! This Summer Pasta Salad is perfect for summer gatherings and is a great addition to easy meals.
4.34 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 433 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces Cavatappi pasta
  • 1/2 cup red onion sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
  • 1 large carrot peeled and julienned
  • 1/2 cup corn whole, canned
  • 1/2 cup radishes sliced
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 2 Tablespoons parsley fresh, chopped

Dressing

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 Tablespoons sweet pickles diced
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta per the package instructions. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water, so the noodles don’t overcook. 
  • Chop the red onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrot, and radishes.  
  • Place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl and set aside. 
  • In a small mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, sour cream, sweet pickles, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and garlic, and mix well with a small whisk. 
  • Pour all over the salad ingredients then take salad utensils and mix into the salad until all the noodles and ingredients have been evenly coated with the dressing. 
  • Serve.

Notes

If you don't want to make your own homemade dressing, you can always use tangy Italian dressing from the bottle as well. Just be careful with the amount that you use as you don't want to overpour and create a soggy pasta dish.
Adding a little bit of crunch is fn for the texture. Topping with pine nuts or crushed pecans, or peanuts adds a delicious flavor.
If you're not a fan of feta cheese, you can use mozzarella cheese instead. You really can't go wrong with anything that you want to add to this macaroni salad!
You can also change up the type of vinegar that you use in this recipe. Champagne vinegar and red wine vinegar are both great options. Just know what type you like because you will notice a tad bit of difference in the taste.
My family is big pickle fans, and we really love dill pickles. If you want to opt for dill pickles instead of sweet, go for it! You can even use bread and butter pickles as well to have a combination of sweet and sour.
If you want some extra crunch, add small pieces of crisp cucumbers! That refreshing flavor paired with the pasta is such a great combination! Perfect pairing as well with the salty feta cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 9gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 488mgPotassium: 343mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2568IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 1mg

*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.

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