Easiest Pasta Salad Recipe & Summer BBQ Link up!

It’s summertime and that means barbecue! To be honest I leave the grilling to the hubs, but the side dishes? That’s more my speed. Today I’ve got an easy pasta salad recipe for you. Seriously, it’s like the easiest pasta salad recipe ever. Even the kids love it and it is fast to make. It’s even packed with healthy stuff!

Easy pasta salad recipe

Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

What you’ll need:

3 cooked chicken breasts (I bake them, but you can do them in the crockpot or stovetop. Even grill them)
2 boxes of tri-color rotini (I use Barilla)
1 cup each: Baby carrots | Broccoli |Cauliflower
Cheat tip: I use the packs of organic mixed veggies
Italian dressing (you can make your own or I use what I get at the Farmer’s Market)
Optional: cherry tomatoes and shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Boil the pasta according to directions (I usually boil for ten minutes). While you’re boiling the pasta, steam your veggies for about 7-8 minutes. You can also throw them in the microwave, I just personally prefer a steamer. Drain the pasta and pour half into a large bowl, add the veggie, half of the chicken bites and Italian dressing to your liking (I add about 1/3 cup and toss). Add the rest of the pasta and chicken, keep tossing. Add another 1/3 cup of Italian dressing, toss and refrigerate. You can add the cherry tomatoes and shredded parmesan once the pasta salad is cold. Make sure to use a bowl that is safe going into the fridge when it has contents in it that are warm or hot. Otherwise, it can crack.

Your Turn

Now your turn! Show us what you’re making these days and welcome to the Summer BBQ Link Up hosted by yours truly, Donna Urso at Just One Donna, Breeze Leonard at Little Feet Big Adventures, Jennifer Cowan at And Hattie Makes Three, and Angela K. Hill at Working on Working Mom. Link up your favorite family friendly recipes and hosting ideas for summer BBQs, picnics, and cookouts. Your links will be displayed on all five of our blogs.

That’s not all! Join us on Tuesday, July 19th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/5pm PT for the #BloggerBBQ16 Twitter Party. Follow your hosts and be entered to win prizes like a $50 Visa gift card! @CityCountryLife @AndHattieMake3 @JustOneDonna @WorkingOnWorkingMom and @TravelMomBreeze. Be sure to look for the #BloggerBBQ16 hashtag.

Summer BBQ Twitter Party

Now back to the link up. The rules are simple: We welcome you to link up a maximum of three posts. We ask you to engage with the participants and hosts by visiting and commenting on at least one post for each one of your links. Have fun sharing!