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I can’t believe that it is August already, and that school is right around the corner. It seems like summer just started. Between baseball multiple nights and week and traveling it has gone by so quickly. Today my 9 year old and I are off again traveling. We are headed to Minnesota today to see lots of my extended family. Then we are driving back to Wisconsin to spend the week with my parents and my in-laws. I am excited to see lots of my cousins, aunts, and uncles that I have seen in awhile. Should be a great trip!
This summer my son had baseball two nights a week, most weeks. So every Monday and Wednesday I would feed him a quick dinner at 4:45, and then we would be off to his games. My husband and I would pack a picnic that we would eat while watching the game. Often times I would bring pasta salad. I had to get a little creative though, so it couldn’t get too boring! My husband often liked to have meat/cheese and crackers. So one day I decided to combine them both, and this is what I came up with.
I have always put pepperoni in my pasta salad, but this time I used summer sausage. I had some leftover, and it seemed like it would bulk up the pasta a little. When I was grilling dinner one night, I decided to toss on a few extra veggies so I could add them to this pasta salad later. I used red onion and zucchini because I know that is what my husband will eat, but you could easily do bell peppers, mushrooms, or other veggies you had on hand. Even just adding some grape tomatoes or cubes of cheese would be a great idea. No matter what you decide to add to it, this pasta salad is quick, easy, and great for any occasion. Bring it on a picnic, side dish with burgers, or a quick lunch would all be great.
Pasta Salad with Summer Sausage & Grilled Veggies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 8 oz summer sausage, , cut into chunks
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 zucchini, , sliced
- 1 red onion, , cut into thick round slices
- 1/2 - 1 cup Italian Dressing
- 1/4 Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain completely.
- Heat grill to medium high heat.
- Coat veggies in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for a few minutes per side, until they start to brown. Remove and chop to desired size.
- Combine veggies, drained pasta and summer sausage into a large bowl. Drizzle with about 1/2 cup of Italian dressing. Stir to coat.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, stir. Taste, and add more dressing if needed.
- Chill before serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you Erin for the nice recipe. Have a Fun and Wonderful Weekend!