Looking for something to bring to a Memorial day cookout this weekend? Well I got you covered! This crowd pleasing summer time pasta salad is quick, easy and the excellent choice for pot lucks, cookouts and get togethers. Instead of a pasta salad loaded with tons of mayo, this pasta salad has a wonderful lemony dressing. Whole wheat pasta, slivers of parmesan cheese, toasted almonds, juicy cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and zucchini are tossed with a lemony dressing that is just begging to be served at your next summer party.
Zucchini and Almond Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 4 small ones), sliced very thinly
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 13.5 ounce box of whole grain rotini pasta
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in half
- 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced with a peeler
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted and cooled (toast at 300˚ for about 10 minutes)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large basil leaves, cut into thin strips
Directions:
- Combine zucchini and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large colander set over a large bowl or in sink; let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in salted water; drain and cool.
- In a large bowl combine zucchini, cooled pasta, tomatoes, olives, cheese and almonds.
- In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper and salt together. Toss with salad and adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with the basil leaves and serve.
Yields: 8 servings
Source: adapted from In the Kitchen with Kath, orginally from Smitten Kitchen
This dish makes me so excited for summer, I have a ton of zucchini in my fridge right now
Yum! That looks so fresh and wonderful! I can’t wait until my first zucchini grows!
This would be perfect for this weekend!! we enjoy a great potluck!! thanks for sharing, added to our list!
sweetlife
nice selection of ingredients for a delighting salad!
I’m always looking for new potluck salad recipes for the summer. This one looks great, and I love that it has whole wheat noodles. The almonds are really different for a pasta salad but I bet they add great crunch.
Wow this looks really tasty, I need to run out and get me some zucchini asap!
Cristina – this looks perfect for a summer BBQ. How do you do it? How do you find time to have a post everyday? You are such a superstar and so inspiring.
I love that you used the spiral pasta! Sounds delish! If you get a chance check out the pasta salad I just posted…. I think you’ll like it!
P.s. I’m loving your blog!
I love making salads like this as a brown bag lunch. Yous looks fab!
This looks just perfect for a summertime BBQ!
Everything in this salad works really well together, and I love that you added olives. This looks really good!
Your Pasta is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!
Love that there’s no mayo in this pasta salad–it always makes the dish too heavy, and of course, unhealthy! Substituting a light lemon dressing is a fantastic idea.
This dish is perfect for summer, which isn’t so far away. I can’t wait to make it! I love the idea of tossing in toasted almonds – you’d never realize how much flavor they add.
I love pasta salads!! I’ve never seen one call for almonds before, but I’m liking it. Might just have to save this one
Thank you for sharing!
I love the addition of slivered almonds to a pasta salad for crunch, I need to try that!
This looks so fresh and delicious and perfect for a nice summer bbq!
I’m always looking for a new pasta salad recipe. This looks awesome! I love the addition of kalamata olives. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, this looks so yummy and so summer-y! I grow zucchini and tomatoes in my garden so this will be a snap to assemble – no grocery shopping required!
This looks wonderful, so colorful, and ideal for summer.
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