Spiral Pasta with Fresh Tomato Basil and Olive Sauce

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

One of my favorite dishes during summertime is a cold pasta salad. It's great for picnics in the park, as a BBQ side dish, or as a whole meal in itself. For me though, I love sitting out on my deck as the day is winding down with a bowl of pasta salad and a glass of white wine. It's my ultimate summertime comfort meal. I try not to use my stove often on hot days, so keeping an already prepared batch of it in the fridge is a must for me this time of the year. There are so many different ways you can prepare it, but one of my favorites is this Spiral Pasta with Fresh Tomato, Basil, and Olive Sauce, a recipe I found on Golden Blossom Honey. 

 

 

The secret to a good pasta salad not only lies in the dressing, but fresh ingredients are what makes the dish go from just good to fantastic. Look, I'll use dried herbs and spices here and there, and I'm also known to pop into the grocers and grab the least pathetic looking veggies when I'm in a pinch. However, I take full advantage of my summer garden, growing fresh veggies and herbs to use in dishes like this all summer long. I'm not saying store bought produce is bad in this recipe, but if you have your own garden or access to an organic farmer's market, you're going to want to use the freshest ingredients possible here. Also, I love me some cheese with my pasta, and while the grated or shredded variety is perfectly fine here, I prefer cubed mozzarella chunks in my salad, so that's the only change I make when preparing this recipe.

Ingredients

Sauce:
4 cups chopped tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup black olives, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound gemelli or other spiral type pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE 

 

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Do you eat pasta salad in the summertime?