This Nectarine Summer Squash Pasta Salad with a delicious creamy lime dressing is a great way to enjoy summer produce. Perfect for get togethers and barbecues!
This Nectarine Summer Squash Pasta Salad is so easy and can be made ahead so it's perfect for summer get togethers and potlucks!
This recipe was inspired by this salad from Southern Living. I omitted the chicken of course, opted to use my own creamy lime dressing and used a few different steps for making it. This salad goes well with these tofu sticks, for added protein.
Ingredients
The ingredients in this salad are quite simple and makes the most of summer produce.
- bowtie pasta
- nectarines
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- parsley
- almond slices
- non dairy yogurt
- lime juice and zest
- dijon mustard
- maple syrup
- garlic
- salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This pasta salad is very easy to make requiring about 30 minutes start to finish.
Combine non dairy yogurt, mustard, lime juice and zest, maple syrup and garlic and whisk well to fully incorporate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook pasta in salted water 1-2 minutes longer than package instructions state. Drain, but don't rinse. Transfer to a large bowl and pour half of the dressing over pasta and toss to coat. Allow to cool a few minutes.
Add sliced nectarine, squashes, parsley and remaining dressing to the pasta and gently toss to combine. Tip: Use a bread knife to slice nectarines to prevent smushing.
Top with toasted almond slivers and enjoy or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Hint: Many pasta salad recipes instruct to rinse the pasta after draining to keep it from getting sticky. Don't. Instead pour some of the dressing over the pasta immediately after draining to prevent sticking and add flavor to the pasta itself, a bit like marinading.
Substitutions
- Pasta - use gluten free pasta instead of wheat pasta to make this gluten free.
- Nut free - the almond slices an be replaced with sunflower seeds to make this nut free.
Variations
- Grilled - try grilling nectarines and squash and enjoy as a warm pasta dish.
Equipment
There's no special equipment needed for this recipe. You can use a mandolin to slice the zucchini and squash thin or a decent chef's knife works. I recommend a bread knife for slicing the nectarines to avoid mushing them.
Storage
Store pasta salad in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Good for 1-2 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Typically, you want pasta that is cooked al dente so it doesn't get mushy when eaten warm and sauced. With pasta salad, it really needs to cook 1-2 minutes longer than normal since it will be refrigerated and the texture will change once cold. The flavors will also be more muted if eaten straight from the fridge. For best flavor, let the pasta salad warm at room temp for a bit before serving.
This Nectarine Summer Squash Pasta Salad with a delicious creamy lime dressing is a great way to enjoy summer produce. Perfect for get togethers and barbecues!
- ½ cup non dairy plain yogurt, unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 lime juice and zest
- 1 small garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz bowtie pasta
- 2 nectarines, thinly sliced
- ½ medium zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
- ½ medium yellow squash, quartered and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped flat leaf preferred
- ¼ cup toasted almond slices
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Combine non dairy yogurt, mustard, lime juice and zest, maple syrup and garlic and whisk well to fully incorporate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Cook pasta in salted water 1-2 minutes longer than package instructions state. Drain, but don't rinse.
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Transfer to a large bowl and pour half of the dressing over pasta and toss to coat. Allow to cool a few minutes.
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Add sliced nectarine, squashes, parsley and remaining dressing to the pasta and gently toss to combine. Tip: Use a bread knife to slice nectarines to prevent smushing.
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Top with toasted almond slices and enjoy or cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
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