Summer Fresh Pasta Salad with Lemon & Garlic
Looking for the perfect side dish this summer? This recipe lets the simple flavors of lemon, garlic and fresh basil shine for a light and quick component to a meal, perfect for those warm summer days. Tomatoes provide a variety of vitamins and minerals including vitamin c, potassium, vitamin K and folate (vitamin B6). Shallots are also packed with beneficial vitamins and minerals such as; calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins A, C and B.
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces of gluten free pasta, dry
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 3/4 cup fresh basil, rough chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box. Once cooked to al dente (slightly firm texture) drain and immediately place into large salad bowl.
- Mix in diced shallots, minced garlic, diced tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, and basil. Toss well to complete coat pasta.
- Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve room temperature or refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Enjoy!
Easy Pasta Salad Recipe Variations
This pasta salad is fantastic as-is, but feel free to change it up to match your tastes or the ingredients in your pantry. Here are a few suggestions:
- Add a little protein! Add chickpeas or other favorite hearty legume to your salad.
- Cheese, please. Feta would go great with this dish!
- Go Greek. To make this recipe more of a Greek pasta salad, add kalamata or black olives and a half cup of thinly sliced red onion.
- Try a caprese combo. Use halved mini mozzarella balls in place of the feta.
- Get your greens in. Add a handful or arugula or spinach to up the ante of vegetables.
