This quick and easy pasta salad recipe mixes frozen vegetables and prepared salad dressing with chopped onion and fresh basil for a nice balance of freshness and convenience. Chose a colorful frozen vegetable blend that appeals to you. Perfect for kids, it's a great addition to packed school or work lunches. This pasta salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container.
By Del Sroufe ,
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried whole grain fusilli pasta
- 1 16-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 cup snipped fresh basil
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 to 1½ cups fat-free Italian or balsamic salad dressing
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions, adding frozen vegetables for the last 5 minutes of cooking; drain. Rinse cooked pasta with cold water; drain again.
- Transfer pasta mixture to a large bowl. Stir in basil and onion. Drizzle with dressing, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (⅙ of recipe), 415 calories, 61 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 14 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 623 mg sodium, 5.1 g fiber, 8.3 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
This recipe was so easy. I decided to change it a little. I used 6 oz. of pasta and replaced it with 2 cans of black-eyed peas. I made a simple Italian dressing recipe that was creamy because it had some tahini in it. Also, one cup of the salad dressing was plenty.
I will make some of the pasta salads soon!
Can you recommend a specific dressing to use?
Hi Stacey,
We have a few tasty dressing recipes of our own that you could try out! For this recipe, we recommend using either the 2-Minute Oil-Free Balsamic Dressing or the Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing. Let us know how it goes!
This recipe is fantastic. It has many components that make it simple and tasty. It takes little time to make, and the ingredients needed didn’t cost me a lot. I had most of them in my pantry, so it was a quick trip for the fusilli and sea salt. I would recommend this to all my friends and definitely use it again.