“Let fresh fruits and vegetables be your guide, and make something that will keep for the whole week.” -Marcus Samuelsson
My first summer in Michigan has been filled with lots of adventures: running and biking the local state parks, swimming in the lakes, hiking in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and endless trips to the dog park. Moving to a new state has definitely inspired me to get out and explore, especially since it’s the summer season. Summer has also inspired me to shop for seasonal produce from our local farmer’s market and having fresh vegetables for my Meatless Monday recipes has really helped me to stick my goal of eating more plant-based meals.
After my weekly trips to the farmer’s market downtown I always come home with bags full of fresh fruit & vegetables from local Michigan farms. The vegetables are always so fresh and taste great in all the recipes I make. Since it’s summer I tend to make a lot of stir-fry recipes, skillet meals and cold salads to avoid turning on the oven. In my opinion nothing says summer like a good pasta salad and my mom’s recipe is my absolute favorite! I look forward to it every time she makes it.
My mom has inspired me in so many ways but the past few years she has really been focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a combination of increased physical activity like walking from the train to her home and to her work, and eating foods low in saturated fat and high in protein. I know my mom’s success with healthy eating and developing a healthier lifestyle has contributed to my own success in that area and is further proof that if you surround yourself with positive people who have like-minded goals you have a higher chance of success towards those goals.
Pasta salad is so easy to make and can be prepared a day in advance (which is actually better because the noodles can marinate in the salad dressing). Any vegetable would work in this recipe, in addition to the ones I’ve listed below you can also add corn, tomatoes or cucumbers. The more colors the better! It’s also a great recipe to make on a weekend because you can use any leftovers for lunches. This recipe is too good not to share and it makes enough servings for a backyard summer BBQ or a neighborhood potluck.
- Yield: 10 servings
Nutrition facts (per portion)
- Calories: 280
- Carbohydrate Content: 30g
- Fiber Content: 2g
- Protein Content: 8g
- Saturated Fat Content: 3g
- Sodium Content: 444 mg
- Sugar Content: 6g
My Mom’s Vegetable Pasta Salad
Got it from my mama!
Ingredients
- Tricolor Rotini Pasta - 1 - 120z package
- Red Bell Pepper - 1, chopped
- Green Bell Pepper - 1, chopped
- Sliced Olives - 1 - 4oz can
- Broccoli Florets - 2 & 1/2 cups, steamed
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese - 4 oz, chopped in small cubes
- Italian Salad Dressing - 1 cup
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Rinse pasta under cold water and drain. Place pasta in a large serving bowl.
- Add in the chopped bell peppers, sliced olives, cheddar cheese and broccoli and stir to combine.
- Pour the Italian dressing onto the pasta salad and stir until evenly coated with the dressing.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
1 Comment
Thanks @thequoteablekitchen your healthy lifestyle inspires me!!
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