Pasta Salad With Tomatoes And Cucumbers

With this pasta salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, you can enjoy healthy veggies and delectable pasta in one bowl. Plus, it is a versatile dish that you can modify according to your tastes and what you have on hand. Here is information about how to make this pasta salad and some ideas for variations.

Variations for Pasta Salad With Tomatoes And Cucumbers

• Italian Dressing: Italian dressing is perfect for this salad because it is tangy like a vinaigrette. Simply add it to the pasta salad and toss until the noodles are coated.
• Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise adds a creamy texture to this pasta salad. However, you could also use yogurt or sour cream instead if you prefer.
• Cheese: This pasta salad is wonderful with cheeses such as mozzarella, Feta, goat cheese, or blue cheese.
• Veggies: You can also add black or green olives, basil, cooked corn, broccoli, zucchini, or greens to the pasta salad.
• Other Additions: Consider adding tuna or shrimp from some protein, or some toasted cubes of bread for texture. You can also add vinegar, lemon juice, or dried rosemary for more flavor.

The Type of Pasta to Use for this Pasta Salad with Tomatoes And Cucumbers

Most pasta salad recipes call for macaroni, rotini, or penne. However, there are several other types of pasta you could use in your pasta salad with tomatoes and cucumber as well. Here are some ideas:

• Farfalle
• Penne
• Cappelletti
• Macaroni
• Rigatoni
• Conchiglie

How Do You Keep Pasta Salad From Getting Soggy?

While you want your pasta salad to have a dressing, you don't want so much that the noodles soften too much. To prevent this, add your choice of dressing a little at a time, just until the salad is well coated.

How Long Can You Keep Pasta Salad With Tomatoes And Cucumbers in the Fridge?

You can store this tomato, cucumber, and pasta salad in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend that you use an airtight glass container to store the salad, but you can also store it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.

How To Freeze Pasta Salad With Tomatoes And Cucumbers

You can freeze this tomato cucumber pasta salad for up to 3 months. First, divide the salad between freezer bags, and try to remove as much air as possible when you close them. Then, write the date on the bags and place them in the freezer.

How to Thaw Frozen Tomato Cucumber Pasta Salad

In order to thaw this frozen tomato cucumber pasta salad, you can place in the fridge for about 24 hours or until completely defrosted.

You can also thaw the pasta salad in cold water. In this case, you can place the freezer bag of salad in a bowl of cold water until thawed, which will take about 3 to 4 hours.

What To Serve With Pasta Salad With Tomatoes And Cucumbers

Besides being a delicious side dish for soups like tomato soup and Vegetable Beef Soup, you can also serve this salad with corn casserole and scalloped potatoes.

Pasta salad with tomatoes and cucumbers also goes well with chicken wings and sauces such as yum yum sauce and boom boom sauce, or even with grilled steak.

Here is a list of sides to serve with tomato cucumber pasta salad:

• Pioneer Woman Olive Bread
• Cauliflower Gnocchi
• Pioneer Woman Sheet Pan Quesadilla
• Ina Garten Beef Stroganoff
• Salmon Cakes

Pasta Salad With Tomatoes And Cucumbers

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

With this pasta salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, you can enjoy healthy veggies and delectable pasta in one bowl. Plus, it is a versatile dish that you can modify according to your tastes and what you have on hand. Here is some information about how to make this pasta salad and some ideas for variations.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pound of dry pasta
• 2 cucumbers
• 6 tomatoes
• 1 bunch of green onions
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
• Black olives (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  
2. Cook the pasta for 8 to 12 minutes (or according to the package instructions), until al dente.
3. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process, and place it in a large bowl.
4. Slice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions thinly, and add to the bowl with the pasta.
5. In a large bowl, stir the Parmesan cheese with the olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
6. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir it until combined.
7. Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate it for about 2 hours before serving
8. Garnish with the black olives if using and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 586Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 1123mgCarbohydrates: 98gFiber: 7gSugar: 10gProtein: 21g