Lemon Bowtie Pasta Salad

Summertime is almost here y'all! I'm so mad that we basically skipped spring and went straight to summer but hey, I'm ready for my fresh fruits and summer salads.

As the seasons change and the weather starts getting warmer, I like to switch over my foods and prepare meals that don't require a hot stove. One of my go-to summer dishes is a pasta salad.


I make so many of them. Tuna salad, chicken salad, Italian pasta salad, pretty much anything made with cold pasta. But lately, I've been craving a new salad that I was inspired to make when the
Macy's Downtown Minneapolis Marketplace closed.


Macy's Marketplace had the best pasta salad selection and whenever I headed downtown Minneapolis, I always visited the market. One of my favorite salads they prepared was a Lemon Orzo pasta salad. I decided to make my own version at home.


Instead of orzo noodles, I use bowtie noodles and tweaked the salad to my liking. This pasta salad is
perfect for family reunions, cookouts and summer BBQs. Here's how you can make this easy summertime meal yourself

Lemon Bowtie Pasta Salad

Ingredients:


1 pkg.Bowtie pasta noodles
1 Cucumber chopped
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
1 pkg. Fresh Basil leaves
1 small can Black Olive slices
salt and pepper to taste


For dressing:

1 Lemon - juiced
1/2 to 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil



Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package direction. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Add black olives, cherry tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and cooled pasta in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
3. In a smaller bowl, juice of lemon and olive oil. Pour over pasta salad and toss to cover. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Adding freshly ground salt and ground pepper really bring out the flavors of this lemon pasta salad. Enjoy!

Will you be making pasta salad this summer?