This past weekend, we finally got to have a picnic! I had been dreaming about having a picnic all winter (and most of this chilly spring). There’s nothing better than being outside, enjoying some good food and hanging out with wonderful friends. Saturday, we drove an hour outside of the city to meet our good friends Patrick and Stephanie for a picnic dinner. We set up our picnic on a pretty table overlooking the lake. The sky was perfectly clear and the weather was nice & warm. And thankfully, the bugs weren’t too bad. Right, Jesse? :) *hehe* Patrick and Stephanie brought their adorable dogs Sadie & Zoey to the picnic and they provided endless entertainment. So cute! Food-wise, Stephanie brought fresh watermelon, cherries, veggies and dip and delicious Icelandic donuts (kleina) for dessert. I brought mojito fruit salad and this bruschetta pasta salad.
Pasta salad is one of my favourite things to bring to a picnic, mainly because it is so filling and feed lots of people. But pasta salad is also like a blank canvas. You can mix in so many different ingredients and change up the dressings. This salad from Once Upon A Cutting Board is the perfect example of that! Yum! I also love to bring Antipasto Pasta Salad along to summer potlucks, picnics and BBQs.
One of my favourite pasta salads is the Greek Pasta Salad I posted last year. The Greek Pasta salad was the basis for this bruschetta-inspired pasta salad. It’s a delicious blend of fresh tomatoes, basil, a sweet/sour dressing and salty feta cheese. Parmesan cheese is also a nice addition if you don’t have feta cheese on hand. For those of you who don’t like pasta salads, I recommend bringing a Caprese Quinoa Salad to your next picnic. It’s always a hit!
What are your favourite things to bring to a picnic?
Ingredients
- 1 pound of pasta (bow-ties, rotini, fusili, etc)
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- handful of fresh basil, chopped
- 3/4 cup of feta cheese or 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Method
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Rinse with cold water. Add cherry tomatoes and set aside.
- In a small jar, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
- Pour dressing over the pasta. Sprinkle feta on top. Toss well to combine. Gently mix in chopped fresh basil. Allow mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavours to develop.
Notes
Source: The Fig Tree
Perfect combination and beautiful too
You’re right, it will be perfect for a picnic.
Hooray for picnic season! This salad looks so cool and refreshing–not to mention easy. Hooray!
I don’t think I’ve ever actually gone on a picnic, but I’ve always wanted to! I love every idea you posted for picnic dishes (thanks for linking to one of mine!) but I especially love the sounds of this bruschetta pasta salad!
I love picnics and I am so, so happy it’s picnic season! :D And you can’t have a picnic without pasta salad–this one looks delicious!
this is such a great pasta salad! such classic, delicious flavors!
THIS LOOKS SO DELICIOUS. :D
my mom always brought pasta salad to get togethers when we were growing up, so i still have a soft spot for a good pasta salad. this one looks so creamy, with tons of texture and flavor!
You are the queen of summer salads! I always love the sounds of your pasta salads, and I like how you took the components of everyone’s favourite appetizer and turned it into a main dish perfect to bring along to a picnic (since bruschetta would be a bit messy)!
Awe, thank you! I’m a sucker for pasta salads. My mom always makes them, so they remind me of both summer and being at home :)
Great combination, now I know what is for dinner tonight, thanks for the recipe.