Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Published 6/25/2023 • Updated 3/17/2024
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This bow tie pasta salad is cheesy, light, and full of big flavor! Fresh veggies are roasted to perfection and tossed with bow tie noodles and a delicious homemade Parmesan cheese dressing for the ultimate summer side dish.
Delicious Bow Tie Pasta Salad
It’s summer cookout season, and what better way to enjoy the warmer months than to have a mouthful of fresh, tasty goodness like this easy bow tie pasta salad recipe?
We love the complexity of flavors that come from the roasted veggies, al dente pasta noodles, and tangy Parmesan cheese dressing. It makes for the perfect side dish for a light lunch or family gatherings, no matter the time of year!
The great thing about this pasta, too, is that it can be served hot or cold, and you can easily play around with the recipe by adding other delicious ingredients if you so desire. It’s simple yet delicious and will satisfy any crowd.
why you’ll love it!
- It can be a hot or cold pasta salad, depending on your preferences!
- The bowtie pasta shape is great for holding the flavorful dressing.
- Perfect on a hot summer day.
- An easy crowd-favorite.
Made with Fresh Ingredients
- Red bell pepper: red bell peppers have a great crunch and sweetness when roasted.
- Broccoli: adds a bit of color, texture, and nutrition to the dish.
- Red onion: red onions have a great pungent flavor and crunch when tossed into the salad.
- Carrots: another great veggie for roasting and adding color.
- Olive oil: olive oil is used for roasting the vegetables so they’re full of flavor.
- Salt: to bring out all the delicious flavors.
- Bow tie pasta: the bow tie shape makes for a great accompaniment to this dish.
- Basil: freshly chopped basil adds a nice herbal flavor for a nice finishing touch.
Parmesan Cheese Dressing
This Parmesan cheese dressing is packed full of flavor and adds a great salty, cheesy, and tangy punch to the dish. Here’s what’s in it:
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Clove
- Dijon mustard
- Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Swaps and Additions
Juicy tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes would add a nice burst of flavor to this pasta salad.
Cheese: If you’re a big cheese fan, feta cheese, mozzarella, or even blue cheese would be a fantastic addition.
Veggies: You can easily swap out the veggies for whatever you have on hand, like zucchini, peppers, or even asparagus.
Nuts and seeds: For added crunch and texture, throw in some almonds, pumpkin seeds, or walnuts.
Spices: To give the dish a nice kick of flavor, add some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or red pepper flakes.
Noodles: This recipe would also be delicious when made with macaroni, fusilli, or even farfalle.
try it!
Caprese Pasta Salad
Calling all pasta salad lovers! You have to try our caprese pasta salad recipe. Yum!
How to Make Bow Tie Pasta Salad
PREHEAT OVEN
Preheat the oven to 425℉.
ROAST VEGGIES
Place the red pepper, broccoli, red onion, and carrots onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
Toss together until everything is evenly coated and bake for 20 minutes.
COOK PASTA
While the vegetables are roasting, cook the noodles according to package instructions (about 10 minutes).
Drain and rinse with cold water. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
LET IT CHILL
Next, remove the vegetables from the oven and refrigerate with the noodles for at least 1 hour.
PREPARE DRESSING
Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
ASSEMBLE + SERVE
Place the noodles, veggies, and fresh basil into a large bowl with the dressing and toss until all the ingredients are coated.
Now it’s time to dig in! Serve immediately and enjoy your yummy bow tie pasta salad!
Serving Suggestions
This bowtie pasta salad recipe is delicious on its own, but it tastes even better when paired with some classic summer BBQ sides. Here are a few of our favorites from our sister site, Fit Foodie Finds:
- Grilled Chicken Fajita Kabobs
- Mexican Juicy Lucy Burger
- Foil-Packed Grilled Potatoes
- Grilled Scallops with Herby Wine Sauce
- Tender Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Storage
Store any leftover bow tie pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 6 oz. broccoli, chopped (~2 cups)
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, halved and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 oz. bow tie pasta
- ¼ cup fresh basil, sliced thinly
Parmesan Cheese Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Place the red pepper, broccoli, red onion, and carrots onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toss together until everything is evenly coated. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the vegetables are roasting, cook the noodles according to package instructions for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and refrigerate with the noodles for at least 1 hour.
- To prepare the dressing, add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Place the noodles, veggies, and fresh basil into a large bowl with the dressing and toss until all the ingredients are coated.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes
- This dish can be eaten hot or cold. If you are serving it cold, we recommend cooling all cooked ingredients before adding the dressing. Hot noodles will absorb the dressing.
- While that is great when eaten hot, it will create a dryer pasta salad when served cold.
- To grill the veggies, add them to a grill basket after they have been seasoned and grill for 5-10 minutes.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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