An EASY Cold Pasta That Keeps – RECIPE INCLUDED! 😋

Pasta salads are an awesome way to have fresh food ready and available to eat even if you’re on the go! This pastas salad is not only simple, it is extremely fresh, and best of all it lasts! My fiancé loves taking this salad to work for lunch and as a busy mama, it’s great to have a healthy alternative to have ready even on those busiest of days.

I make the dressing first because I love to let all the flavors meld together before adding it to the pasta mixture:

Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette —

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
• 1 minced shallot
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions —

1. Stir together lemon juice and minced shallot; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Whisk in olive oil, parsley, honey, and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Now it’s time for the…

Pasta Salad:

• 1 (16-oz.) package of penne pasta
• 1 (8-oz.) package of fresh green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe above 👆)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Directions —

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding green beans to boiling water during last 2 minutes of cooking time; drain.
2. Rinse pasta mixture under cold running water until cool; drain. Toss together pasta mixture, tomatoes, and vinaigrette. Cover and chill up to 24 hours, if desired. Just before serving, stir in dill, and add salt and pepper to taste.

It’s that simple you guys and so incredibly worth it!

Happy Summer Eats,

This Midwest Mama 💕