Saturday Savory: Summer Pasta Salad

Memorial Day is close, and everyone is preparing for a cookout with burgers and hot dogs and salads of all types. Thus, today I will share with you a recipe for a nice cold summer salad great for picnics and outings.

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This recipe is very simple, with just one item to cook. The rest is just stirring! So, here are

the ingredients for the recipe:

16oz. pasta twists
(2) 16oz. salad dressing, any flavor
1 can black olives
15 oz. can garbanzos, drained
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tomato, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
8 oz. shredded cheese

Pasta twists for the salad. Click image to enlarge.

All the ingredients to be stirred in with the pasta.
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Now, the first step in this recipe is to cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When the pasta is cooked rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Drain the water and repeat the step again, leaving the water this time. Add ice to the water and pasta and let that sit until the ice is melted.

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Once the pasta is thoroughly cooled, add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Like the ingredients list above said, any salad dressing is possible for this salad. We have two flavors we like the best, shown in the picture below.

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That is it! Make sure you refrigerate the salad until ready to serve, and refrigerate any leftovers, too. The recipe is finished, but if you want to make it extra great, follow these tips:

Add or remove any ingredients according to your preference
Prepare the day before eating.
Serve with something crunchy on top for texture. Ideas are sunflower seeds or croutons. However, only add these when ready to eat the salad.

We are going to try these croutons this weekend with our pasta salad.

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So, there it is. A great, easy recipe to help cool off on a hot summer day. Have you ever had a nice summer salad? Share it with me through Facebook, or in the comment section below.

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