Pasta Salad Is Summer's Best

Pasta salad is the perfect summer food.

It is versatile, portable, and stands the test of time.

I remember as a kid going to our neighborhood block party, back when we didn’t have access to screens or tiny computers in our pockets. Instead we’d socialize face-to-face, my friends and I would draw with chalk on the driveway even if we were the oldest of the kids doing so.

The block party was a potluck, and while I never remember what my mom would bring, I always remember what everyone else would. Specifically my best friend’s mom, and her authentic Italian pasta.

I say authentic, because coming from a small town in Pennsylvania I had no idea if pasta salad even existed in Italy. But my friend’s family was Italian, emigrating from Italy at some point and moving to the Italian neighborhood of South Philly before my friend’s parents moved to the suburbs.

Which is where we met, and where I first had good pasta salad. Good Italian pasta salad.

My friend’s Italian mother made it, so therefore it had to be authentic Italian pasta salad.

What makes pasta salad good? Time and ingredients.

In my mind, the best pasta salad is made the day before, giving the noodles ample time to absorb the dressing. And while the dressing is preferential, some people opt for a mayo-base, I go for the olive oil. The GOOD olive oil, as Ina Garten would say.

My go-to recipe?

Spiral pasta

Marinated mozzarella balls

Cherry tomatoes, halved

White or yellow onion, chopped

Green bell pepper, chopped

Carrots, chopped

Olives, pitted

Fresh basil leaves, shredded

Fresh oregano

Dried rosemary

Dried thyme

Good olive oil

A splash of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Salt, the flakier the better

Pepper, fresh ground or from the shaker

If you’re feeling spicy, throw in a little crushed red pepper flakes.

Cook the pasta in ocean-salt-worthy water, then drain.

While the pasta is still warm, add olive oil, vinegar, and herbs and spices.

Once cooled, add chopped veggies and mozzarella.

There you go. Measure with your heart. You’ve got this.

As I mentioned earlier, pasta salad is versatile. There’s literally something for everyone.

Serving vegetarians? Skip any cured meats. Add extra mozz balls.

Have plant-based people in attendance? Skip the cured meats, the mayo-base, and any cheese. However, more and more plant-based cheeses are arriving on the market, and some of them are quite satisfying!

Gluten free? Not a problem. I happen to love Trader Joe’s Quinoa-brown-rice Rotini (not sponsored). Really, you can use any shape that has a little extra space to soak up a dressing.

Do you see what I mean? Pasta salad can be any size, any shape, any ingredient. Sun Dried tomatoes? Throw ’em in. Olives? On the double!

It’s easy to put together. It isn’t time sensitive like fish, it can actually sit out while you chat amongst your friends, even in the heat.

Note: I’m not a food safety expert, so take my advice with a grain of salt…

Packing a picnic? Take the pasta salad? Outdoor movie? Bring the pasta salad. Want comfort food? Pasta. Salad.

Have I convinced you yet?

Pasta salad also grows with you. I went from snacking on bowls of it at block parties to making it for my lunches to eat in the office as an adult.

I was a new hire and everyone else got summer Fridays except me. So I’d eat alone at my desk and enjoy the tender pasta, the hard crunch, the salty, oily olives, and for half an hour, I’d be 12 years old again.

I don’t work in that lonely office anymore. But I do live across the country from my best friend now. Until I can convince her to move West, I’ll have to settle for FaceTime dates and pasta salad.