I love summer. The sunshine makes me want to head to a BBQ and enjoy a nice and icy iced tea/lemonade. Ahh. Today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite BBQ sides, Pasta Salad. I love that they are lighter than mayonnaise based salads and can be customized to be exactly how you like them.
I made this Simple Pasta Salad with Sweet Italian Dressing for a work event a couple weeks ago and it was a hit! The hubby and I also enjoyed it for dinner with some sliced grilled chicken on top, a light but filling week night dinner.
Our grocery store sells these cute little nugget shaped pastas and I love them for pasta salad. But if your grocery store doesn’t sell these, use whatever you can find. This time I kept the ingredients simple, but if you like tomatoes, cherry or grape tomatoes would be a good addition or along with fresh basil!
Simple Pasta Salad with Sweet Italian Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar - or vinegar of your choice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey - can also use sugar or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
- 16 ounces small shaped pasta
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese - small cubed
- 5 ounces mini pepperoni
Instructions
Dressing:
- Combine vinegar, oil, honey, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a jar and shake until combined. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Salad:
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water until it cools slightly. Drain the pasta well.
- Once the pasta has cooled, in a large bowl combine the pasta with cheese, pepperoni, and coat with the dressing. Refrigerate until cold and ready to serve.
Notes
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