My Summer Pasta Salad is a quick, stir-together dish with tons of flavor! Grapes, bacon, broccoli, cheese, and a little dressing make this a perfect recipe for picnics, potlucks, tailgates, or even just a light lunch!
During the summer, I want fast, simple recipes I can put in the fridge and reach for throughout the week. This summer pasta salad is one of those recipes! The most cooking required is cooking the bacon and boiling the pasta and it is ready in about 20 minutes. This is a perfect salad to take to a cookout, bbq, or potluck meal! And it tastes even better after sitting in the fridge for an hour or so.
How to assemble the pasta salad:
- Cook your bacon. You’ve probably heard me say before that I love to cook my bacon in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, put a rack on top of a baking sheet, lay your bacon flat, and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box. I love using bowtie pasta for this dish but any shape will work.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop about 6 oz of broccoli and 4 oz of cheese.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, and red wine vinegar.
- Once the pasta and bacon are done, break the bacon into small pieces and mix all the ingredients together. Top with as much dressing as you prefer and a little salt and pepper.
This recipe makes enough for 4 people but you can easily double it or triple it. It’s a great recipe for a crowd!
Summer Pasta Salad Ingredients (& substitutes):
- Pasta – any shape will do! My preference is bowtie – and I have no reason for it other than my oldest daughter used to call it butterfly and it always made me giggle so I would use it whenever I could.  Feel free to use penne, rotini, campanelle, or any other favorite of yours.
- Bacon – If you aren’t a bacon eater, you can just leave this ingredient out or use whatever your favorite substitute might be. You could also use chopped up chicken or shredded chicken from a rotisserie.
- Broccoli – I love broccoli in this recipe! A great alternative would be chopped asparagus or green peas.
- Cheddar Cheese – This pasta salad doesn’t need cheese because there are so many other flavorful ingredients in it but why not??! To me, cheese makes everything better!
- Grapes – I know some people are anti-fruit in their salad and usually I am too. But the sweetness of the grapes in this pasta salad adds such a great layer of flavor.
- Mayo in the dressing – I’m a mayo fan – always have been, always will be. However, if you are not, you could substitute Greek yogurt in place of the mayo.
Summer Pasta Salad
This Summer Pasta Salad is a quick and delicious pasta salad packed full of flavor and ready in less than 20 minutes! It's the perfect dish to take to a cookout or bbq - or just to enjoy on your own at lunch!Ingredients
- 1/2 lb bowtie pasta
- 4-5 slices of bacon, cooked
- 6 oz broccoli, chopped
- 1 bunch of grapes, cut in half
- 4 oz cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- While the pasta in cooking, cook your bacon. (See note above)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sugar, and red wine vinegar. Stir until smooth.
- Chop the broccoli into smaller pieces and cut the cheddar cheese into small cubes. Cut the grapes in half.
- Once the pasta is done, add it to a large bowl. Add the cooked bacon, broccoli, grapes, and cheddar cheese.
- Top with half the dressing and taste. If you prefer more dressing, add the remaining dressing slowly. Taste again and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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