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Summer is here! That means we are finally brushing off our outdoor furniture and taking dinnertime outside. And, one of my favorite summer go to recipes is an easy summer veggie pesto pasta salad. It’s delicious as a side, or a light entree.
Tom and I got together with my parents for a summer dinner out on their front porch. They grilled up some steak for tacos, which was delicious. And, we brought over this pasta salad. Even though those two things clearly don’t go together, that is the fun of potluck style dinners. Things that don’t go together get mixed together on your plate, which to me, tastes like summer!
Now that we are slowly moving forward in the phases of this pandemic, and restrictions are beginning to ease, a socially distanced outdoor meal with family was so nice. Talk about things we took for granted not that long ago! 2020 has been a wild ride. I actually work with my family, so it isn’t like I haven’t seen them at all the past few months. But, dinner feels different than conference rooms.
Getting together with loved ones and being social feels so nice after months of time at home. And, while we made the most of our time at home, with lots of house projects, and date nights at home, it still feels good expanding our social circle from the two of us, to a few close family members.
The secret to this amazing light and easy pesto veggie pasta salad, is to load it with veggies, not use any mayo, and mix in pesto. Pesto really is the secret ingredient. It takes your basic pasta salad to a new level! I love olives, but the Handsome Hunk isn’t a fan. So, I kept the olives light in this version of the pasta salad. If you’re an olive lover, go wild and crazy, double the olives.
PrintThe Ultimate Pesto & Veggie Summer Pasta Salad
Easy breezy pasta salad recipe loaded with veggies!
Ingredients
1 box of spiral pasta
3 cups spinach
1 medium avocado
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 cup olives
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2–4 tbs pesto
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package
- Chop all the veggies
- Combine everything
- Enjoy!
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If you like this, be sure to check out the best soft pretzels, and sweet & spicy shrimp tacos!
Ashley says
Oh gosh! Yummy! I’ve made something like this before.