This late summer pasta salad is delicious, filling and super easy to make. Using all the flavors of late summer ingredients, you can throw this together for any potluck or barbecue party you might be going to.
I like putting this salad together for any get together, it's super tasty and I have yet to find someone that doesn't like it.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- It's very fast to make, you can have it all ready in 15 minutes.
- It holds up in the refrigerator very well. In fact, it tastes better after a day or two of marinating with the dressing.
- This dish is a perfect way to use up a lot of fresh produce.
- Delicious pasta recipes are perfect for summer days.
🧅 Ingredients
- Cooked pasta
- Frozen Sweet Corn, thawed
- Cherry tomatoes (juicy tomatoes)
- Feta Cheese
- Yellow bell pepper
- Carrot
- Red Onion
- Radishes
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Pickles
- Dijon Mustard
- Sugar
- Sour Cream
- Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
🥣 Instructions
- Step 1: Cook pasta per package directions (to al dente) in salted water, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Step 2: Chop all the vegetables to required size.
- Step 3: Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Step 4: Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickles, parsley, dijon mustard, garlic and sugar to a small mixing bowl and mix with a small whisk.
- Step 5: Pour this dressing over the salad and mix using salad utensils.
Hint: make sure to shock the pasta right after cooking under cold water. It will stop the cooking process and not leave you with overcooked pasta. At the same time it will wash away any excess starch.
🔄 Substitutions and Variations
- Olive Oil - some people like to use an olive oil based dressing.
- Fresh Herbs - sprinkle/season with some fresh herbs.
- Red pepper flakes - add a little kick to the pasta salad by adding some red pepper flakes.
- Pine nuts - adding pine nuts can be a great way to add some texture to this dish.
- Fresh mozzarella - swap out the feta cheese for some fresh mozzarella, goat cheese or even Mexican Cotija.
- Pesto sauce - try using a pesto sauce based dressing instead.
- Red Bell Pepper - adds a little sweetness.
- Fresh Basil - if you're lucky enough to have some in your yard, sometimes this can add a nice pop to this easy pasta salad.
- Parmesan Cheese - or pecorino romano cheese will add another flavor dimension.
- Grilled Chicken - add some grilled chicken or even some Italian sausage to make this a meal unto itself.
- Deviled Eggs - change things up - a great way when you're wondering what to do with leftover deviled eggs.
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🔌 Equipment
You'll need a pot to boil the pasta in and a large salad bowl with serving utensils. I have a few affiliate links in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥬 Other Salad Recipes You Might Like
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Cajun Potato Salad
- Apple Cranberry Salad
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Pesto Dressing
- Summer Pesto Pasta Salad
🧊 Storage
This late summer pasta salad holds up well in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
It doesn't freeze well though.
💡 Tips
Expert Tip: Using simple ingredients that are freshly available during late summer is the best way to make this salad. It is very flexible in the vegetables added - just depends on the time of year.
👩🍳 FAQs
Anything off the grill. This is why it's the perfect side dish for a barbecue or potluck.
Yes, cook the pasta per the package instructions, adding a little salt to a large pot of water.
No, this is a myth. What makes the pasta stick together is if you do not stir it enough during cooking or don't use enough water.
Also, rinsing the starch away after cooking and shocking the pasta is enough. If you oil the water that will leave the noodles slippery and it will be hard for the dressing to coat the noodles.
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Late Summer Pasta Salad
A delicious late summer pasta salad, marinated in a tasty tangy yet sweet dressing with all the flavors of summer.
Ingredients
- SALAD
- 8oz Cavatappi Pasta
- ½ Cup Red Onion, sliced
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 Large Carrot, peeled and julienned
- ½ Cup Canned Whole Corn
- ½ Cup Radishes, sliced
- ½ Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
- 2 Tablespoons fresh Parsley, chopped
- DRESSING
- ¾ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Sweet Pickles, diced
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Instructions
- Cook the pasta per the package instructions. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water so the the noodles don’t overcook.
- Chop the red onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrot and radishes.
- Place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, sour cream, sweet pickles, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and garlic and mix well with a small whisk.
- Pour all over the salad ingredients then take salad utensils and mix into the salad until all the noodles and ingredients have been evenly coated with the dressing.
- Serve.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 282Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 22mgSodium 394mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 5g
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