It’s summer and please tell me you love a pasta salad? With Memorial Day coming up this weekend, you have a family reunion or backyard party on your schedule. I pulled this salad together for an Easter family dinner and I’ve already made it three times since.

This cool and refreshing, cold summer salad is full of vegetables and tons of flavor. I like it because the vegetables stay crunchy in the dressing and the lightened-up ingredients keep it something I don’t feel bad about getting seconds!

This is a great side to burgers, easy summer potluck items, perfect for showers, and quick enough to have for summer lunches. Notice my list of mixins and variations at the bottom of the recipe. What are your favorite sides to bring to summer gatherings?

Print Recipe

Loaded Veggie Pasta Salad

This easy, summer, loaded vegie pasta salad is perfect for sunday potluck, picnics, back yard burger sides, lake days and family gatherings. Loaded with vegetables its light on calories, but ful on flavor. This can be a 1-2 point weight watcher food.

Ingredients

1 lb tri-color rotini or whole wheat pasta
1-2 cucumbers sliced and diced
1 container cherry or grape tomatoes sliced
½ red onion finely chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper chopped
1 tablespoon dry ranch
1 bottle light Italian dressing the cheap kind with big seasoning pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
½ Cup light feta cheese

Instructions

Bring a stockpot of water to boil.
Salt and add pasta.
Boil for 8 minutes.
Cut the cucumber into slices and quarter each slice.
Slices tomatoes in half.
Dice onion and bell pepper into ¼ inch pieces.
Drain and rinse pasta in cold water.
Pour pasta into a mixing bowl.
Add vegetables and stir.
Pour dressing and seasoning on top.
Gently toss to combine.
Sprinkle with cheese and toss once more.
Refrigerator for 1 hour before serving or overnight.

Notes

Notes: for WW points with my free items, this is 5 points per serving at 15 servings for the full recipe. Whole wheat pasta is one of my free foods, so I would probably switch out the pasta if this was just for me. And, if you switch out chickpeas or white beans for the pasta, you cut out all kinds of points!

I also, use 2 boxes of classic Suddenly salad instead of the pasta and add 1 package of seasoning instead of the dry ranch.

For my friends who are counting points and macros, this is a great one to put in your mix.

Also, check out some of my other recipes great for summer:

Green Smoothies

Ouachita Homecoming Snack Mix

Chive & Cheddar Jalapeno Breakfast Pull-apart

Cowboy Ranch Chex Mix

Confetti Celebration Cookies

3 Comments

manepakashala on May 25, 2022 at 6:08 am

Nice recipe! Any other alternative for feta cheese?

bigpitts on May 25, 2022 at 12:57 pm

Great question! Honestly, I’d just leave out the feta. I think you could cube up any cheese like gouda, or colby jack or even pepper jack. But adding feta is just a recent thing for me. I’ve eaten it for years without any cheese, only the veggies and pasta. Pepperoni or olives (if you like them!) would also be great additions. I hope your family enjoys this!
- manepakashala on May 25, 2022 at 1:56 pm
  
  Yes i would surely like to try out this dish. My daughter would love it

manepakashala on May 25, 2022 at 6:08 am

Nice recipe! Any other alternative for feta cheese?
- bigpitts on May 25, 2022 at 12:57 pm
  
  Great question! Honestly, I’d just leave out the feta. I think you could cube up any cheese like gouda, or colby jack or even pepper jack. But adding feta is just a recent thing for me. I’ve eaten it for years without any cheese, only the veggies and pasta. Pepperoni or olives (if you like them!) would also be great additions. I hope your family enjoys this!
  - manepakashala on May 25, 2022 at 1:56 pm
    
    Yes i would surely like to try out this dish. My daughter would love it

Family Reunion Loaded Veggie Pasta Salad