Are you looking for the best side to pair with grilled food? It’s hot out, and you want a refreshing cold dish. MOMables never runs out of great ideas for any occasion! Whether it be for a kid’s lunch or to bring to a BBQ.
During the summer months, I try to have a cold salad dish made up and in the refrigerator at all times. Some of my personal favorites are coleslaw, potato, caprese, berry, seafood or pasta salads. Something about these types of sides just screams summertime to me.
For one, they complement grilled food very well. In the summertime, we grill out quite frequently at our house. Sometimes just the thought of turning on the oven when it is 90 degrees out seems unfathomable. So instead we opt to grill out on our deck, while we watch our boys play in the backyard. We’ll come inside and dish up everyone’s plates. That is when having a cold salad all ready to go in the fridge comes in quite handy! A cold salad balances the hot food that has just come off a hot grill.
Not only that, most of these types of sides are quick and easy to prepare, require either minimal or no cooking at all, and they are also a great way to enjoy all of the wonderful produce that is in season.
The summer pasta salad I’m sharing with you today is the epitome of all I just described above. It’s a light side, but also filling and chock-full of fresh summertime veggies such as; carrots, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers & celery. You can totally make this salad your own and add whatever mix-in’s suit your family’s palates.
There were many times last summer where I would whip this salad up and have it for lunch for several days. You could do the same for your child’s lunch as well- it is a very versatile recipe!
So, do you have a summer BBQ coming up? Make this pasta salad and you’re sure to have at least 5 requests for the recipe!
What are some of your favorite summertime sides?
Summer Pasta Salad
- Yield: Family Sized- Serves 6
- Cuisine: Lunch
Ingredients
- 1 package (1lb) macaroni or shells
- 1 ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons mustard
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- Ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- ⅔ cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2–3 carrots, shredded
Optional Mix-Ins:
- Cucumber, peeled and diced
- Dill pickles, chopped
- Tomato, diced
- Red bell pepper, diced
- Celery, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare macaroni to al dente according to package directions. After macaroni is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl toss macaroni with ham, cheese, peas, carrots, and other mix-ins.
- Fold in mayonnaise mixture until pasta is well coated.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight.
- If the salad seems a little dry after setting up overnight, add some milk a little bit at a time until salad becomes nice and creamy again.
Kristin
I’ve made your recipe of this salad before and I love it. I’m back again making it for these warm summer days. I like to make it early in the morning or at night when the house isn’t so hot and I double use my boiling water to make hard boiled eggs too. Not for this recipe but for egg salad sandwiches. It’s in the fridge chilling right now. Sometimes, the noodles soak up the delicious sauce so I’ve been known to make a second batch of the sauce for day two or three. If it lasts that long.
Kristin
I’ve been having such a hard time finding truly healthy meals my kids will actually eat. That is until I found your site. My kids don’t usually like pasta salads, but they loved this. I’m not a fan of mustard so next time, I’ll probably leave that out, but overall it was a great a success. Love that the plain Greek yout replaces mayo. I can’t wait to try other recipes on this site.
★★★★★
MOMables
Thank you so much for trying our recipes Kristin!
nicole
The ingredient list doesn’t list mayo, but in the directions it mentions mayo. Should it say greek yogurt?
MOMables
yes, sorry! you can use either.