:: Summer Pasta Salad ::
Do you find, in the summer, that you cook less or look for easier recipes? I certainly do! Our days have been filled with outings, lots of outside time playing, and for us… packing up our mountain home in preparation for our upcoming move {not so fun!}.
During the school year, I’m fairly good at sticking to a routine of eating dinner at a reasonable time so that I can get the kids in bed around 8 p.m. In the summertime, that’s not the case! Usually, I’m throwing dinner together on a whim… with little time to spare! This recipe for a chilled Summer Pasta Salad is perfect for nights like that!
{This simple pasta dish has sentimental meaning to me, as well! My husby made this for me as a picnic lunch the day he proposed more than 12 years ago. We’ve been making it ever since!}
You can honestly just grab whatever fresh seasonal veggies you have on hand and chop them up to add into this dish. Pre-cooked smoked turkey sausage, a can of kidney beans, and some cooked pasta make this a wholesome summer meal!
After combining all the ingredients and chilling for a short amount of time, you can top with your favorite dressing {ranch or italian are both delicious}! Even better… this dish can be stored in the refrigerator and served the next day for a quick leftover lunch! Enjoy!
Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz. uncooked rotini pasta {I used Ronzoni Gluten Free}
- 15 oz. can of kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 13 oz. precooked smoked turkey sausage or turkey polska kielbasa
- Fresh Seasonal Vegetables of your choice rinsed and coarsely chopped
- I used:
- 2 medium-sized yellow bell peppers
- 2 heads of broccoli
- 1 english cucumber
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 4 carrots
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, rinse with cool water and pour into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Rinse, seed {if necessary}, and coarsely chop all raw vegetables. Add to pasta.
- Slice precooked turkey sausage, into bite-sized pieces, and add to the pasta dish. {If desired, you can sauté the turkey sausage, prior to adding to the pasta dish to enhance flavor.}
- Add rinsed/drained kidney beans to the pasta dish.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Just prior to serving, top with dressing of choice {such as ranch or italian}, and any optional ingredients listed below. Enjoy!
- OPTIONAL: Stir in chopped chunks of cheddar cheese, feta, avocado, and/or fresh herbs, such as basil.
