Delicious and simple cold pasta salads hit the spot in hot weather. Try these healthy alternatives to the traditionally mayonnaise-based macaroni salads.
Each of the following recipes can easily fit in as the main dish in any summer dinner by simply doubling the ingredients. For a more hearty dish, add cubed turkey breast, cooked chicken or shrimp to the pasta salads.
Asian Noodle Pasta Salad – serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoon peeled grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
- 1 package (8 ounces) soba noodles
- 1/2 bag (10 ounces) shredded or matchstick carrots
- 1 lb cooked large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 4 ounce frozen snow peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, (plus additional sprigs for garnish)
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- In small bowl, place peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper sauce; set aside.
- In a 6-quart sauce pan, bring water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook 4 minutes. Add carrots and cook 1 minute. Add shrimp and snow peas and cook an additional minute.
- Set aside 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Drain noodles, shrimp, and vegetables into large colander. Put mixture into large bowl; set aside.
- With a whisk, beat reserved cooking water into peanut-butter mixture until well blended. Add peanut sauce and chopped cilantro leaves to noodle mixture in bowl and toss until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Garnish each serving with a cilantro sprig before serving.
Easy Spinach Pasta Salad – serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1/2 package (16-ounce) package penne pasta
- 1 large bunch (about 3/4 pound) raw spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped black olives
- 1 large green bell pepper, cut into slices
- 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Prepare penne according to package directions; drain.
- Wash spinach and drain well. Tear spinach into bite-size pieces.
- Toss penne with red-wine vinegar and olive oil till well coated
- Add spinach, mushrooms, olives, bell pepper, and dried basil to pasta. Top with feta cheese.
- Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving.
Traditional Chicken Pasta Salad – serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb. vermicelli
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup lemon garlic dressing
- 2 cups chicken, cooked & cubed
- 10 fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
- 1 zucchini cut small cubes
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 12 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 10 cherry tomatoes cut into fourths
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
- Prepare vermicelli according to package. Drain.
- In a large bowl mix garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, lemon zest, and olive oil until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Gently toss the pasta in with the lemon garlic dressing; cover and chill at least 2 hours.
- In another bowl toss chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, green pepper and olives with red wine vinegar; cover and chill for 2 hours.
- Right before serving add the chicken/vegetable mixture to pasta/dressing mixture.
- Toss in tomatoes and basil. Garnish with chopped basil.
2 cups of chopped ham may be substituted for cooked chicken.
The copyright of the article Easy Summer Pasta Salads in Summer Recipes is owned by Elvira Nieto. Permission to republish Easy Summer Pasta Salads in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
 |
