Fresh from the Garden Pasta Salad
"This is a quick and easy recipe I've used before when I want to bring something to a cook-out with our family. This is a colorful, healthy meal that takes a limited amount of time to prepare -- can be done a day ahead of time which just makes everything taste that much better!! It's also something relatively inexpensive if you have a garden and need a way to use up some vegetables quickly. I put my vegetables in the pot to "steam" where they soften up a bit. This also doesn't have any mayonnaise so you don't need to worry about keeping it cold if you're going to be outside. If you prefer the "cool-down method" you can rinse pasta off in cold water, add all ingredients, mix in Italian dressing, transfer to storage bowl with lid and refrigerate immediately."
- Ready In:
- 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Serves:
-
4-8
ingredients
- 2 cups tri-color spiral pasta, prepare as directed on box
- 1 1⁄2 cups broccoli florets, cut in half, if needed
- 1 1⁄2 cups cauliflower florets, cut in half, if needed
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 medium squash, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 medium cucumber, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 10 -20 small cherry tomatoes, left whole
- 1 (8 ounce) can black olives, pre-sliced, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Italian dressing, to taste
- water
directions
- In very large cooking pot, measure water for pasta and cook as directed until al'dente.
- Cut all vegetables into cubes except cherry tomatoes and black olives.
- When pasta is done drain in collander, warm rinse, and put back into pot. Return pot to stove (be sure to turn off burner!).
- Add all cut vegetables, combine well, and cover for about 10 minutes to "steam" everything together.
- Remove lid and add salt, pepper, sliced black olives and whole cherry tomatoes. Mix everything up until incorporated.
- Transfer to large storage bowl with lid. Refrigerate at least two hours to cool.
- When ready to serve, drizzle and mix in Italian dressing to desired taste.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I'm a 40-something happily married woman of seven years. I've been cooking since I was around six or seven years old. I've learned alot of my cooking "tricks" and recipes from an aunt (one of my dad's sisters -- there were a total of 12 kids in his family!) as well as from her late friend, Mrs. Reynolds who was a phenomenal cook and baker! Mrs. Reynolds' meatloaf recipe is a favorite of ours that I make on a regular basis. I've changed it up a bit from time to time by adding some bbq sauce which gives it a "tangy" taste. I believe when you take the time to cook something for your family, it has alot more meaning and alot healthier. Anyone can open a can, pour it into a pot and heat it up or pop it into a microwave. People say they don't have time to cook a meal for their family. Hogwash! If you have time to go out for drinks with friends, you certainly have time to make dinner for your family!
Our favorite restaurant is Cheddar's in Florence, KY. The portions are generous but the prices are quite inexpensive; 1/2 rack of ribs is around $8 and they have one of my favorites: Monte Cristo! MMMmmm!
We currently reside in the Northern suburban-countryside of Cincinnati, OH. My DH is originally from KY and grew up working on his dad's farm. We love the country and hope to one day purchase some land that has space for a large vegetable garden and some barnyard animals. We both enjoy travelling, spending time outdoors with our four-legged "kids" which we have two of, as well as relaxing with family and friends. We both enjoy cooking, baking, and grilling. I am a big fan of old fashioned farm, pioneer and comfort-food cooking. My husband is a meat-and-potatoes man -- nothing fancy. Just good, home-cooked-from-scratch meals.
