SUMMER PASTA SALAD

This SUMMER PASTA SALAD is loaded with fresh garden vegetables of the season and tossed in a flavorful herb-infused sweet tea vinaigrette dressing. Great for potlucks, BBQs, or summer gatherings. Serve it as a side dish, or add protein for a main dish.

Summer Pasta Salad 

As summer gets into full swing,  I love serving up easy recipes that can still serve my family without taking too much quality time away from enjoying each other.

This easy summer pasta salad with sweet tea vinaigrette is one of my favorites that gives me the opportunity to throw in all of my favorite in-season vegetables and herbs for a quick and simple recipe everyone will love.

The juicy and flavorful veggies mixed with perfectly cooked pasta noodles come together seamlessly when topped with a homemade vinaigrette.

How To Make A Perfect Summer Pasta Salad

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

To easily make this summer pasta salad, cook pasta in salted water for 1 minute past al dente. 

Drain the cooked pasta and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. While pasta is cooking chop veggies and make the dressing.

To make the vinaigrette, you will combine sweet tea, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth, and set aside. 

Once the dressing is complete, return to the cooked pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl, add veggies, cheese, and 1/2 of the dressing. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Lastly, serve pasta salad room temperature or chilled with remaining dressing and enjoy!

The Secret to Making an Amazing Sweet Tea Vinaigrette 

I always love making my own dressings at home so I can know exactly what’s going into them. 

So when I’m picking out the ingredients for my homemade dressings I want to know each ingredient is equally as wholesome and clean that won’t take away from the flavor profile. 

How Long Does Homemade Vinaigrette Last?

When stored in a properly sealed container, such as a mason jar, swing-top bottle, or airtight container this homemade sweet tea vinaigrette will last in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. 

Due to the nature of this dressing, I do not suggest trying to freeze it. 

Summer Pasta Salad Serving Suggestions

The beauty of summer pasta salad recipes is that you can always modify them any way you like. There are many ways to serve up this summer party recipe to fit your preferences. 

• Add a protein source such as chicken, grilled fish, or tofu 
• Grill some of the vegetables, like the zucchini, broccoli, corn, asparagus, and bell peppers to add some diversity to the flavor and texture combo
• Swap out the rotini noodles for your favorite pasta noodles 
• Swap grape tomatoes for sun-dried tomatoes
• Don’t like feta? Use mozzarella
• Pasta salad gets better over time, so for the best pasta salad, all you have to do is mix and let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes (chill if not serving right away). It’s why pasta salad is even better the next day.

Host the BBQ of the Summer with These Amazing Recipes

Grilled Chicken Caprese – Juicy grilled chicken topped with melty mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Favorite Broccoli Cauliflower Salad – Crunchy veggies and a creamy tangy dressing make this salad a fresh, make-ahead favorite.

Pineapple Mango Salad – A sweet and spicy fruit salsa with jalapeño—perfect with grilled meats, tacos, or chips.

Easy Peach Cobbler – Quick and delicious with fresh or frozen peaches. Add ice cream and you’re all set!

Raspberry Hard Iced Tea Cocktail – Refreshing iced tea with raspberries, lemon, mint, and a whiskey kick—summer in a glass.

Tools Used to Make this Summer Pasta Salad

Food Processor

A food processor was one of those kitchen items I never knew I needed so much until I had one. Trust me if you don’t have one yet, get one and watch how it makes your life in the kitchen easier!

Snap n Strain Strainer 

Once I tried this strainer that clips to the side of any pot, I could never go back to the messy and inefficient regular colander again. 

Swing Top Bottles 

These swing top bottles are great for presenting any homemade dressings and oils perfectly. I love that they are so much slimmer than a large mason jar, and still seal just as well. 

Continue to Content

SUMMER PASTA SALAD

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Print

This SUMMER PASTA SALAD is loaded with fresh garden vegetables of the season and tossed in a flavorful herb infused sweet tea vinaigrette dressing. Great for potlucks, BBQs, or summer gatherings.

Ingredients

• 16 ounce box rotini pasta
• 3 small bell peppers, diced (I use 1 each: yellow, orange and red)
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved (I like to use rainbow tomatoes)
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 ear corn on the cob, cooked* and cut off the cob
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• FOR DRESSING:
• 1/3 cup Milo's Famous Sweet Tea
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in salted water for 1 minute past al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool.
2. While pasta is cooking chop veggies and make the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients In a food processor and process until smooth.
3. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl, add veggies, cheese, and 1/2 of the dressing. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste
4. Serve pasta salad at room temperature or chilled with remaining dressing.

Notes

• This pasta salad is delicious the day it's made, and even better after it sits a day or two. To make in advance, cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To cook an ear of corn, you can either throw the corn on the grill, or with the husk still on microwave for 2 minutes on high, and let it rest in the microwave to 2 minutes before shucking and cutting the corn off the cob.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Copper Finish Colander with Stainless Steel Interior
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  Kitchen Gizmo Snap N' Strain - Collapsible Colander - Clip-On Strainer for Pots and Pans, Cool Kitchen Gadgets - Essential Kitchen Finds and Cooking Tool - Easy to Use, Space-Saving Design, Green
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  Serrated Paring Knife, 3 3/4-Inch Stainless Steel Blade
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  Non Slip Poly Cutting Board 
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  Zwilling J.A. Henckels Chef's Knife
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  Large Serving Bowl with Serving Utensils
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  Glass Bowl Set 
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  Mini Food Processor
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  KitchenAid Food Processor

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 servings Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 214Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 338mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.

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