Hey there,
On these hot, muggy summer days, we’re all craving something light, fresh, and this Easy Penne Vegetable Salad, I believe, checks all the boxes. It’s refreshing, packed with crisp veggies, and yes, there’s pasta too. For this salad, I used a light mayo mixed with a bit of low-fat Greek yogurt, and so nope, no need to stress about the calories with this one! All good! I had half a bag of frozen veggies in the freezer, so I gave them a quick boil and tossed them right into the pasta. 🙂
Don’t you think that salads have a bit of a reputation? Certain salads are leafy, light, and kinda blahhh unless you’re drowning them in dressing. This is a kind of dish that turns heads at a summer lunch or dinner and leaves you with zero leftovers. This salad is a lazy day-approved and fridge-friendly dish, perfect for those of us who prefer to spend less time in the kitchen and more time soaking up the sun (or, in my case, chasing after two mischievous Basset hounds).
Want to jazz things up in this recipe with a little extra something? Go for it! Toss in some ham, chicken, or even turkey. This salad is easygoing, just like summer should be. Orrrrr hey, why not throw in a hard-boiled egg too? I’m just tossing out a few ideas to help you out with this pasta salad. I added carrots, peas, and a pinch of dry dill. Why dry dill, you ask? Well…because that’s what I had in the fridge. I haven’t been to the market lately to buy some fresh herbs. ooppssseyyyy!!
As for the pasta, well, I had a few options in my pantry (mini rigatoni). The mini penne was the one that stood out to me. I mean, come on… it just makes the dish look prettier. Yes, I admit it, I like my pasta dishes to look nice. Don’t we all? Be honest, you love admiring a good-looking plate of food too.:)
Okay, my dear foodie friends, I hope you enjoy this easy and refreshing recipe.
Have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening!
Easy Penne Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup mini penne pasta
- 1 ½ cups frozen or fresh vegetables peas, carrots, potatoes
- ½ tbsp dill fresh or dry
- 2 tbsp light Greek yogurt 0% - 2% fat
- 1½ tbsp light mayo
- ½ onion finely chopped
- white pepper
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in water with a drop or two of olive oil until cooked. Drain and rinse with cold water so your pasta.
- Boil the veggies in water until tender. Drain with cold water and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add the mayo, Greek yogurt, and onion. Combine the ingredients and season with the white pepper and sprinkle in the dry or fresh dill.
- Toss the cold pasta and vegetables into a bowl. Fold in the mayo dressing and , with a spatula, slowly combine so that the veggies are fully coated.
- Serve
I love salads like this in the summer. So easy, and there when you want them.
Me tooo absolutely right so easy and so full of flavor. 🙂