Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Between carting kids to summer activities, hosting impromptu backyard dinners, and trying to avoid turning the oven on at all costs, a recipe like this Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad is a lifesaver. It’s colorful, crunchy, loaded with seasonal veggies, and tossed in a zesty homemade dressing that makes everything sing.
Whether you’re making it ahead for a picnic, serving it alongside grilled chicken, or just grabbing a bowl straight from the fridge for lunch, this is the kind of dish that delivers every single time. Plus, it’s a great way to use up whatever produce you’ve got kicking around.
Ingredients
Dressing
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic; jarlic has no flavor!
- Virgin olive oil – Use the good stuff! I love a robust flavored olive oil in this dressing.
- Red wine vinegar – You can use any kind of vinegar, but red wine vinegar is my favorite in this salad.
- Italian seasoning
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt – Plus more for the pasta water.
- Ground black pepper
- Red onion – You’ll need about ½ cup of diced red onion. Chop it small as it goes into the dressing.
For the salad
- Dried farfalle (bow tie) pasta – I like using the mini bow ties, but any will work.
- Grape tomatoes – You’ll need about 2 cups of grape tomatoes, or use cherry tomatoes but slice them in half.
- Orange bell pepper – Seeded and diced. You can use any color bell pepper.
- Zucchini – You’ll need about 8 ounces of zucchini, so it’s not much. If you don’t have summer squash, use extra zucchini.
- Yellow summer squash – About 8 ounces.
- Black olives
- Parsley
How To Make Summer Bow Tie Salad
Please scroll down for the recipe card, which contains the full list of ingredients and instructions.
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Buy Now!Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. I like using a pasta pot with a built-in strainer. It makes draining and rinsing the pasta fast and fuss-free. You might think you have enough pots but these pots are genius and an essential part of my kitchen.
Mince the garlic and mix it with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. You can shake it in a dressing shaker, which seals tight and doubles as easy fridge storage.
Pour half the dressing into a non-slip mixing bowl and stir in the diced red onion, separating the layers so they start to soften.
Cook the pasta until just tender, about 11–13 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again well.
Prep the vegetables: halve the tomatoes, dice the bell pepper, and slice the zucchini and yellow squash. A mandoline slicer is a huge time-saver here, especially for quick, even squash slices. Drain the olives.
Add all the veggies and olives to the bowl with the dressing and onion. Toss to coat.
Stir in the cooled pasta and mix until everything is evenly combined. Drizzle with the reserved dressing just before serving, top with parsley, and toss again to refresh the flavor. Serve and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Let the red onion sit in the vinegar for at least 10 minutes. This takes away the harsh bite and adds flavor.
- Don’t skip rinsing the pasta. This stops the cooking and keeps it from getting gummy in the salad.
- Make this a full meal by adding cubed mozzarella, grilled chicken, or even canned chickpeas.
- Want a shortcut? Use a mandoline to slice the squash quickly and evenly.
- Always taste and adjust the dressing before serving. A little more vinegar or salt might be just what it needs.
Recommended
Make it a meal
This pasta salad is hearty enough to stand on its own, but it also makes a fantastic side dish. Serve it alongside grilled chicken thighs, seared shrimp skewers, or a big juicy burger. It also pairs beautifully with anything barbecue or smoky and makes a vibrant addition to a potluck spread with watermelon and lemonade.
Storage
Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors continue to develop after a day in the fridge. If it seems a bit dry before serving, add a splash of olive oil or lemon juice to freshen it up. This salad does not freeze well due to the fresh vegetables.
Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small red onion diced
For the salad
- 1 pound dried farfalle
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1 medium orange bell pepper seeded and diced.
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow summer squash
- 4 ounce black olives sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Mince the garlic and combine it in a small bowl or jar with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Shake well to emulsify, or whisk if mixing in a bowl.
- Pour about half of the dressing (around ½ cup) into a large mixing bowl. Reserve the rest for later.
- Dice the red onion and stir it into the dressing. Separate the layers so they begin to soften in the vinegar base while you prep the rest.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until just tender, about 11–13 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again thoroughly to remove excess water.
- Halve the grape tomatoes.
- Core and dice the bell pepper into bite-sized chunks.
- Trim and quarter the zucchini and summer squash lengthwise, then slice into ¼-inch thick pieces.
- Drain the can of sliced olives.
- Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, and olives to the large bowl with the dressing and onion. Stir well to coat all the veggies.
- Toss in the cooled pasta and mix everything until it’s evenly combined and coated with the dressing.
- Drizzle with the reserved dressing just before serving. Top with chopped parsley and toss again to freshen up the flavors.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Let the red onion sit in the vinegar for at least 10 minutes—it takes away the harsh bite and adds flavor.
- Don’t skip rinsing the pasta. This stops the cooking and keeps it from getting gummy in the salad.
- Make this a full meal by adding cubed mozzarella, grilled chicken, or even canned chickpeas.
- Want a shortcut? Use a mandoline to slice the squash quickly and evenly.
- Always taste and adjust the dressing before serving. A little more vinegar or salt might be just what it needs.
