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A bowl of a delicious primavera pasta salad

Primavera Pasta Salad Recipe

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You’ll find no mayo to weigh down this primavera pasta salad! Made light with oil and Parmesan cheese, it’s perfect for summer picnics. No spoilage!
Course side dishes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 -8 servings
Calories 257
Author Cheryl Najafi

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add the carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, onion and bell pepper to a large mixing bowl and toss them with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
  • Transfer the veggies to a rimmed baking sheet, spread evenly then sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until the veggies are tender but not mushy—they may need more or less time depending on thickness. Once baked, remove from oven and allow them to cool.
  • While the vegetables are baking and cooling, boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water according to the package directions. Cook the pasta but leave it a bit firm to ensure that it will hold its shape in the salad.
  • Drain and run cool water over the pasta to stop it from cooking. Drain the water thoroughly then set the pasta aside.
  • Combine the drained pasta and cooled vegetables into a large mixing bowl. Add frozen peas—they’ll defrost very quickly—tomatoes and the additional tbsp of olive oil. Stir to combine then sprinkle Parmesan, basil and parsley over it. Stir in the lemon juice and test for seasoning—add a little extra salt and pepper if necessary.
  • Cover and refrigerate until chilled then dig in!

Notes

Rinsing cooked pasta in cool water stops the cooking process. Just make sure it’s allowed to drain thoroughly.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g