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Today is our first ‘official’ day of summer break from the school year, and I’m really looking forward to a more relaxed schedule for the next few months.
OK – this really doesn’t have anything to do with our Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad recipe that we’re sharing today – but for some reason, this year, I’m feeling very sentimental about another school year ending.
I think a lot of it has to do with seeing our 9-year-old daughter growing up so much all of a sudden! She has really ‘come into her own’ this year at school, and in her various activities, and my husband Jack and I can already see a glimpse of what she’s going to be like as a teenager, a young lady, and beyond!
Don’t get me wrong – we love what we see in her, and we’re SO proud of her! She’s a really, really great kid (we’re very lucky) and a kind person – and I will admit that I’m thoroughly enjoying that she still loves to spend time with Jack and me. (We both know that the teenage years are just around the corner – so we’re enjoying it while we can!) 🙂
So with time being so precious these days – we’ve got a lot of family activities planned for this summer break! And that means quick meals at home, as well as meals to take on-the-go! Recipes like this Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad are going to come in handy!
You can make this Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad in advance, then enjoy it as an easy weeknight dinner alongside some grilled chicken or fish. Or, pack it up for a picnic lunch at the beach or in a summer camp lunchbox. (It’s actually a salad that tastes best at room temperature – so it is a perfect lunch on-the-go!)
You can also change up the mix of vegetable in this salad to suit your family’s preferences, so feel free to adapt as you wish.
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Salad
- 2 ounces dry linguini broken into quarters
- 1/4 pound fresh carrots, cut into sticks
- 1/2 pound fresh turnip, cut into sticks same size as carrot
- 1/2 pound zucchini, cut into sticks same size as carrot
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced into half inch pieces, about 3/4 cup
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 ounces Swiss cheese, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Place parsley, vinegar, water, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper into blender and process until smooth. With motor running, drizzle in oil. Set mixture aside.
- In a medium to large sauce pan follow package instructions to cook linguini but four minutes prior to pasta being done, place in carrots and turnip and continue cooking until pasta is done and vegetables are tender.
- Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta and vegetable mixture with uncooked zucchini, bell pepper, peas, Swiss cheese and dressing.
- Mix, cool and serve.
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this looks and sounds delicious. Perfect for any Summer BBQ. Now just to let it cool down outside enough to enjoy a BBQ 🙂
Thanks Tanya!