Made with two types of vegetables and light ingredients, this Easy Vegetable Pasta Salad will be a staple in your house this spring and summer!
I don’t know if any of you are familiar with the PT (Physical Training) tests in the military and how/what they are. They are physical fitness tests given out to military service members every year.
Each military branch conducts the test differently. We are Air Force so if the service member makes a score of 89.9 or above, they only have to take the test once a year. If their score is 75-89.8, they have to take it every six months. If their score is lower then 75, then they have to take it again in 90 days.
If you have a low score (i.e. below 75) then you more then likely will go on what they call ‘the fat boy’ program (I did not give it that name, it’s something I have heard it being called over the years of being a military spouse). It’s basically 90 days of intense physical fitness training and healthy eating, mandated by the military.
Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to go on the fat boy program, including Husband Man. When PT test time rolls around, this family feels it. We rarely see him due to how many hours he spends exercising during the week.
And the food? Well…let me just say this….it is very tough being a food blogger around PT Test time! This recipe came across my lap during one of his tests many, many, many moons ago.
It has vegetables, pasta, and just the right amount of seasonings to not make you feel like you are eating cardboard or bland food.
When his tests are over, everyone in the house breathes a sigh of relief…at least until the next one comes along 😉
Serves: 8 people
Calories Per Serving: 184
Ingredients
- 2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, cook pasta as directed on package.
- During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add in the broccoli florets. When finished, drain noodles and broccoli.
- In a big bowl, combine noodles, broccoli, tomatoes, olives, Italian Dressing, and Parmesan Cheese.
- Stir until well blended and mixed. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Libby's Notes
Change it up a bit and use different types of cheese. You can also add sliced red onions, chopped green onions, boiled eggs, etc. The sky is the limit. This is good when served hot or cold.
Nutrition
Calories: 184kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @cooknwithlibby or tag #cookwlib!
My husband loves pasta salad for lunch and this one looks perfect! I think I'll crumble up some bacon for him to sprinkle over the top. Thanks for this!
Bacon would be wonderful in this!
I love pasta salad-this is how I jazz mine up. I add sauteed or roasted squash, zucchini, and onions to vegetable pasta. Thanks for sharing!
Oh I love how jazzy that is! We will have to try the zucchini and onions next time 😉
This looks tasty!! Thanks for sharing at The Weekend Retreat, hope to see you back on Thursday http://mommyondemand.com/
You are very welcome for sharing 🙂
We love this recipe in the summer!
Looks good to me..I’m walking down to the market and get what I need…
Sounds awesome Russ! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe 😉 Enjoy!