This is not your childhood macaroni salad! With lots of vegetables to give it refreshing, tangy flavor, this summer pasta salad works great as a side to your backyard barbecue or with added protein as a meal in a bowl.

I love a good pasta salad! It has such a delicious creamy tanginess. When I was in school, the chef used to make the most incredible macaroni salad (see my version of it here). I would have to stop myself from buying doubles and triples!

Pasta salads are trending lately, which is funny because I can remember eating them as far back as I can remember! I do see a slight change in the vegetable-to-pasta ratio. When I was a kid, there were barely any vegetables, but now they’ve swapped it and it’s almost like a veggie salad with some pasta. I didn’t always like it with so many veggies, but I think my palate has matured.

You can put in whichever vegetables you’d like; you don’t have to make it exactly the way I have it here. You can also add feta cheese, flaked tuna, salmon, grilled chicken or deli to make it a meal!

I like to serve my pasta salad in a nice bowl, like this one. That makes it so much more appealing. If I am making a big batch, I will put it away in the fridge in a nice Pyrex dish or bowl with a lid so it looks nice and still stays fresh.

I like to rotate my pasta salads with this quinoa, chickpea, roasted sweet potato and corn salad, which is also a filling summer salad that works great with a barbecue supper.

Summer Pasta Salad with Garden Vegetables

With lots of vegetables to give it refreshing, tangy flavor, this summer pasta salad works great as a side to your backyard barbecue or with added protein as a meal in a bowl.

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