Pair with a Pale Ale
I don’t think the perfect picnic exists without the perfect accompaniments. Oh sure, BBQ chicken legs, savory cheeseburgers, and chili cheese dogs are always the stars of the show, but a picnic wouldn’t be a picnic without the side dishes.
I’m going to keep things short and sweet today because well, it’s Friday and all, but I couldn’t sail off without praising this summer vegetable pasta salad first.
I love everything about this pasta salad, and it has become a staple around our house this past spring. I normally throw anything I have on hand in the salad. It makes it so versatile. Any vegetable, fruit, and protein can be added to this pasta salad and it would be delicious. Trust me on this. While I decided to throw chicken into the mix, if you are living a vegetarian life, feel free to leave it out.
That’s what makes this salad so perfect. Add anything you want to it! What really sends this pasta salad over the edge however, is the dressing. The dressing is by far my favorite part, and a good pasta salad wouldn’t be a good pasta salad without a good dressing.
I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed creating it for you! Pair it with a pale ale. If you can find a pale ale more on the citrusy side, that will work best. Surprisingly, the hoppiness from a pale ale pairs really well with the fresh fruits veggies! Have a great weekend, friends!
Serves 12
10 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
20 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound short pasta
- 2 cups fully cooked shredded chicken
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 3 peaches, diced
- 2 ears of corn, corn kernels cut from the cob
- 3 cups fresh baby arugula
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
- 8 ounces mozzarella balls
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup micro greens (garnish)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, buttermilk, white wine vinegar, olive oil, hot sauce, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- To a large bowl, toss the pasta, chicken, tomatoes, peaches, corn kernels, arugula, eggs, mozzarella, sunflower seeds, and almonds. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Serve the summer vegetable pasta salad topped with micro greens. Enjoy!
