Super-Easy Pasta Salad | Budget-Friendly Meal
Pasta salad seems to be the easiest meal to throw together! Whenever you have a picnic or a road trip pasta salad is always a favorite! It's not hard to guess why since it takes such little time and effort to prepare and it's super versatile. You can add all your must-have ingredients, and it holds for days.
Pasta Salad: The Easiest Lunch!
It's pretty clear that we all adore pasta, so coming up with a dish that uses cold pasta and whatever veggies you have on hand is just genius! Cut your vegetables while you boil your pasta. Once the pasta is ready, you cool it down under cold water and mix everything up. Add dressing and voila! Literally the easiest thing in the world.
This recipe grills and cooks the veggies, but you can easily find ways to incorporate those nutrient-packed raw ones. Raw cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, canned corn, and some greens would be a good combo. Extra tip: Add some nutritional yeast to cheese it up!
Go Crazy with Dressing!
So this pasta salad recipe uses only olive oil and hemp seeds, but you can prepare a creamy dressing to make this salad even tastier! What about a simple lemon cashew cream? An easy lemon dressing or a delicious balsamic vinaigrette? If you wanna go old school then add some vegan mayonnaise with some lemon juice and you're set!
This pasta salad is a perfect opportunity to increase our daily veggie consumption or to use up those that have been waiting in your fridge to find a way into your meals. What about cutting up those boiled potatoes you have left from a few days ago? This recipe is the perfect "throw it all in there" dish.
Next time the weather is picnic-perfect make this pasta salad and run out the door to enjoy the sun! So, will revive this classic recipe?
Super-Easy Pasta Salad | Budget-Friendly Meal
Ingredients
- 3 cups of fusilli pasta
- 1 zucchini- sliced thinly, using a peeler
- ½ cup of cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup of frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon of hemp seeds
- Some fresh basil
- Salt, pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the fusilli, following the instructions on the package - then drain and rinse
- Grill the zucchini slices on a griddle pan for 2-3 minutes on each side - they will cook probably faster, depending on how thick your peeler will slice them
- Roast the tomatoes in a preheated oven, set to 375 Fahrenheit, for about 15 minutes
- Boil the peas for 10 minutes and rinse
- Season the pasta with salt, black pepper and fresh basil
- Assemble the salad and drizzle with some olive oil
Notes
- Try using raw veggies if you don't have time to grill.
- Use any pasta shape. I like short pasta as it holds onto the dressing well.
- Try mixing up a creamy dressing for a new flavor.
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About Toni
Welcome to Plant-Based on a Budget! Here you’ll find affordable and easy-to-make recipes, and an inclusive, supportive approach to plant-based eating.
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