Summer is the perfect time of year for light dishes with fresh flavors! While dishes like mac and cheese and mashed potatoes are always delicious, lighter side dishes with bright flavors are the best kind of things to make during the summer.

My favorite pasta dish to make is mac and cheese because it is super easy, delicious, and it’s a classic comfort food dish; however, I recently wanted to make a pasta side dish that was light and still packed with flavor. I decided on a vinaigrette to coat my pasta because the extra virgin olive oil has great taste, while the red wine vinegar has a bright flavor that refreshes your palette. In addition to these fabulous ingredients, the herbs and spices add a nice pop of flavor, while the parmesan cheese adds a great salty cheese taste. Lastly, the peas and cherry tomatoes add bright and refreshing flavors as well as different textures. The variety of tastes and textures in this yummy side dish will certainly have you coming back for more.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Farfalle pasta (you can use any pasta, I like to use bow-tie pasta sometimes because it just looks fun)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ bag frozen peas
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Equipment:

• Pot of boiling water
• Saucepan
• Large mixing bowl
• Large spoon
• Measuring cup
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk

Directions:

1. Prepare the pasta according to the box’s instructions. Strain the pasta, pour it into a large mixing bowl, and set it aside to cool.
2. Prepare the frozen peas according to the package’s instructions. Set aside in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and rapidly cool them.
3. To a small mixing bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, sugar, ground black pepper, and dried oregano. Whisk this mixture together until it is thoroughly combined, and the oil and vinegar have started to emulsify. Pour the vinaigrette onto the pasta and thoroughly mix it around to ensure that all of the pasta is coated in a light layer of vinaigrette.
4. Next, add the peas, quartered cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Mix everything together, add it to your preferred serving dish, and place in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.
5. Make sure to give the pasta salad a quick stir before serving. Enjoy!

Notes:

• If you have fresh peas, you can certainly those instead of frozen peas. I only had frozen peas on hand, so I decided to use them. I do not recommend using canned peas because they are mushy. Frozen peas not only have better flavor, but they also maintain structural integrity when compared to canned peas.
• You can easily customize this recipe! I made a version of this dish for some family friends that did not have any cheese or salt, and they loved it!
• If you love Parmesan cheese, feel free to add an extra sprinkle to the top of this dish.
• I highly recommend grated Parmesan; however, I tried this dish with powdered Parmesan and it still turned out so well!

Positively Perfect Pasta Salad: A Great, Fresh Side Dish for Spring & Summer

Recipe by Carly PrestonCourse: Lightened Up, Savory SelectionsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box of Farfalle pasta (you can use any pasta, I like to use bow-tie pasta sometimes because it just looks fun)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 pinch salt

• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ bag frozen peas

• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Prepare the pasta according to the box’s instructions. Strain the pasta, pour it into a large mixing bowl, and set it aside to cool.
• Prepare the frozen peas according to the package’s instructions. Set aside in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and rapidly cool them.
• To a small mixing bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, sugar, ground black pepper, and dried oregano. Whisk this mixture together until it is thoroughly combined, and the oil and vinegar have started to emulsify. Pour the vinaigrette onto the pasta and thoroughly mix it around to ensure that all of the pasta is coated in a light layer of vinaigrette.
• Next, add the peas, quartered cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Mix everything together, add it to your preferred serving dish, and place in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.
• Make sure to give the pasta salad a quick stir before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

• If you have fresh peas, you can certainly those instead of frozen peas. I only had frozen peas on hand, so I decided to use them. I do not recommend using canned peas because they are mushy. Frozen peas not only have better flavor, but they also maintain structural integrity when compared to canned peas.
• You can easily customize this recipe! I made a version of this dish for some family friends that did not have any cheese or salt, and they loved it!
• If you love Parmesan cheese, feel free to add an extra sprinkle to the top of this dish.
• I highly recommend grated Parmesan; however, I tried this dish with powdered Parmesan and it still turned out so well!

Thank you so much for checking out this recipe! Let me know in the comments how you enjoyed this recipe!