One of the things I love about our church dinners is the good “home cooking.” It’s where I first tasted a version of this salad. I asked my friend for the recipe, telling her how much my daughter when the lunch ladies made it in the school cafeteria. She agreed to give me the recipe and I grabbed a pen and paper to write it down. “Ok,” she said, “first, you need 3 pounds of onions, 10 pounds of pasta…” “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, “how much?” “Sorry,” she told me, “I only know the recipe for the large batches I make in the school cafeteria.” I went ahead and copied the Summer Pasta Salad recipe. When I got home, I knew there was no way I could make that much pasta salad so I began experimenting on a smaller scale and adding different veggie combos. Plus, it’s perfect to put those veggies in the garden to use!
I started by boiling a pound of pasta. If you would like a gluten free salad, simply use a pound of gluten free pasta as a substitute for regular pasta. Drain it and remember this secret tip; the pasta tastes much crisper if you let it cool completely surrounded by ice . Once it’s cold, place it in a bowl and add chopped onions, cucumbers and grape tomatoes.
Mix in shredded Parmesan cheese and some salami (or go meatless!) Add 2 cups of Italian salad dressing and a small amount of mayo. I always use the light version and it tastes just as good to me. Mix it all together and chill until serving time.
- 1 lb (16 ounces) penne pasta
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) chopped onion
- 1 cup (8 ounces) EACH chopped tomato and chopped cucumber
- 2 cups (16 ounces) Italian Dressing
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) light mayo
- 1/2 chopped salami
- Cook and drain pasta, place in ice bath until cool. Add cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add in onion, tomato and cucumber, stir. Add in cheese and salami, stir. Add in dressing and mayo. Stir until blended and serve immediately. Or chill until serving.
Do you have a favorite summer salad recipe?
This looks way too good. I am a pastaholic and love pasta salads like this in the summer time. Definitely will be making this one.
Ooh, this is a great recipe to take places this summer! I love the veggies in it!
That salad looks really good and refreshing! Perfect for a BBQ too!
Wow, that salad looks amazing. I need to try this asap. It looks so good.
Yum! This looks fantastic! Really great for the summer hot days
This looks amazing! Perfect refreshing meal for a hot summer day.
I love pasta salad. What a great recipe.
I love cold pasta salads for BBQs. This is such a colorful dish!
It can be tricky trying to find gluten-free foods at BBQ’s or church get-togethers. I can’t wait to impress all of my gluten-free friends with this dish.
This looks delicious. Thanks for the tip about cooling the pasta with ice, I will definitely have to try that.
Yum! That pasta salad looks great. I love making these for lunch.
I love pasta in any form. The pasta salad here is sure to be another addition to dishes that I will have to try. Thanks for sharing.
I love salads and this one looks tasty and filling. I love that it’s gluten free.
Filling salads are a nice alternative to a hot dinner when the weather’s getting hotter every day. I like that it’s so easy to make a gluten-free salad instead, or just toss as much as you want inside the mix.
This sounds so tasty! I am always looking for new gluten-free recipes to try.
That looks so delicious right now! I’m so hungry!
This looks like a great summer meal! I love pasta salad.
This looks like a nice, light summer salad. I bet it is very flavorful too!
I am all for fruit salad this summer. Fresh fruit is always on sale during summer months so it’s the perfect time to make a guilt free salad.
Pasta salad is one of my favorite things to eat. I love that this is gluten-free for those who are on modified diets.
This looks good and I love the gluten free option. I think the bacon and ranch pasta salad my mom makes is my favorite.
What a delicious pasta salad recipe idea! Looks like it is worth me trying to make to see if my kiddos will eat it and gluten free – awesome!
Oh this looks so good and refreshing. I love summer salads.
Pasta salads and barbecued meats are a staple around here in the summer. This pasta salad looks like it will fit right into the rotation! Thanks!
This looks like a delicious veggie filled pasta salad! I’d love to make this for a barbeque.
Yum. I’m not Gluten Free but I do enjoy eating Gluten Free when the recipe is right. This one looks super tasty, I’ll have to give it a try!
Wow that looks amazing. I love pasta salad!
I love pasta salads that are super easy to throw together. This does the trick.
To be honest, gluten free or ot, this looks like a good meal option! We do not have gluten issues, but a tasty ,meal with or without is always a good idea!
Oh how I would love a bowl of that now! It all sounds like they all mary nicely!
That sounds like a perfect cookout side dish! I can’t wait to try this.
This looks like a better recipe than my sister in law uses. She is the Pasta salad maker in our family.
YUM! I love summer salads. I love that it’s gluten free and simple to make.
The best part is that is that it’s simple to make. I am all for easy lunch ideas.
That looks delicious! I love that it is gluten free! I’m going to save this recipe so I can make it while my niece (who is gluten free) is visiting! 🙂
That looks really tasty. I always love seeing the gluten-free options you bring us. Thanks!