Easy Penne Pasta Salad

This Easy Penne Macaroni Salad recipe is a favorite of mine for barbeques and summer gatherings. Cold penne pasta salad is a wonderful, refreshing dish when you want something to go with your picnic or lunch menu that you can make ahead of time.

I love to serve my pasta salad with Italian dressing or simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

 

Hello Friends! If you are like me, you have been out enjoying spending the days outdoors. When we plan for a day at the beach, we usually try to take some food with us since we are bound to get hungry and the prices at the snack shop can be expensive. This is my go-to recipe when I have some penne pasta in the cupboard and some fresh vegetables from the farmers market.

I can whip this up in the morning and take it with us to enjoy on the go in a refrigerated container. I like to use different colors of peppers for a more colorful salad. Green and yellow peppers look nice with the red tomatoes.

 

 

This is made without mayonnaise which keeps it light. The result is a cool, pasta salad that goes so well with barbecued foods, picnic foods, and sandwiches.

 

 

This penne pasta salad with olive oil is a nice light salad that can be a side dish or a lunch meal. It is truly one of the best penne pasta salad recipes I have made. It is often a favorite at gatherings and is so easy to make. You can also make this the day before and I think that it helps the flavors blend well.

For more great salad recipes, try our best easy salad recipes;

Easy Chopped Salad Recipe – This Italian inspired recipe makes for a wonderful lunch or light dinner in itself.

Mango Arugula Salad Recipe – Argula makes a nice change-up in a green salad. The addition of fresh mango makes this a delightful, colorful salad.

Easy Mediterranean Salad – Another perfectly colorful salad that brightens any table.

Asian Cucumber Salad - A fresh and crisp cucumber salad with a tangy dressing. 

Pepper Broccoli Salad -  Another great picnic salad made with broccoli and bacon. Sure to please and a nice, unexpected side dish.

Salad Supreme Pasta Salad - If you have never tried a salad recipe with this spice - you will want to try this one!

Don't forget to bookmark this recipe!

 

 

Easy Penne Pasta Salad

 

• Make this salad dressing the night before for a wonderful lunch or side dish. 
• Prepare the vegetables (except the tomatoes) the night before and store in the refrigerator. You will always want to prepare the tomatoes when putting the dish together and remember to keep tomatoes at room temperature for the best flavor.
• You can boil the pasta ahead of time so it is ready when you are. Just drain the pasta and place in a plastic baggie or airtight container with a few drops of olive oil. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• You can actually make this entire salad the day before and let all the flavors blend together.

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