Now that summer is right around the corner, I can’t stop thinking about my favorite warm-weather foods, like freshly brewed lemonade, corn-on-the-cob, Almond Joy ice cream, and cold pasta salad. Pretty much anything you’d find at a barbeque! 
Last summer, my husband created the best cold pasta salad, which was very tasty, but also packed full of nutritious ingredients. It’s now one of my favorite summertime dishes! So, when we vacationed in Maine last weekend, I asked my husband to make his famous pasta salad for the trip. Once again, it turned out deliciously! You need to give this one a try!
Mal’s Pasta Salad
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
- 1 box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (NuVal score: 91)
- 1 small onion, chopped (NuVal score: 93)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped (NuVal score: 94)
- 1 large head of broccoli, chopped (NuVal score: 100)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (NuVal score: 96)
- 1 can of Eden Organic Black Beans (NuVal score: 100), drained
- 1 cup Wish-Bone Italian Dressing (NuVal score: 3)
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Serve cold.
Tip: Instead of adding raw broccoli florets to this recipe, my husband steams them until they are bright green and slightly firm.
Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the 
i make a pasta salad a lot like this – but instead of the onion & black beans, i add cucumber & black olives. so tasty! love the recipe!
Ooo this would be a good thing to have on hand at the house for those hot summer nights when cooking is the LAST thing on my want-to-do list.
Pasta salad is so yummy in the summer! I really don’t like mayo, though, or creamy salad dressings. I’ve seen Greek yogurt being substituted in for the mayo; do you think that would work?
Wei-Wei
My pasta salad recipe is almost exactly the same, it’s so good! I just noticed the other day that wishbone started using real sugar in their dressing too, no more high fructose corn syrup!!
I like the change in raw broccoli idea; great recipe. perfect for this time of year
So easy and full of great colors and nutrients!
Made this over the weekend and it was delish!! I loved the idea to slightly cook the broccoli and I used chickpeas instead of black beans and carrots and cucumber in place of tomatoes and onions…so good!!
[...] Mal’s Pasta Salad [...]
This looks awesome! Definitely on my list of things I must make!
[...] Mal’s Pasta Salad [...]