It is great that we do not have to warm up our food during the summer, don’t you think?! We can just eat cold or room temperature meals with enjoyment. Here is one laid back summer meals for you to try.

Servings: 3-4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound dried pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini or farfalle whichever you have at home.

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 cup thinly sliced & pickled purple onions see the recipe at Pickled Red Onions

1 cup sliced cucumbers

1/3 cup thinly cilantro

1 cup green olives

Dressing Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt plus more to taste

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1- Dressing: Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper until combined.

2- Set the salad dressing aside.

3- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and 1 table spoon of salt in.

4- Add the pasta and cook until al dente about 6-10 minutes or according to package directions.

5- Drain the pasta.

6- Add the drained pasta to the dressing and mix well.

7- Add the tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, onions and cilantro to the pasta.

8- Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Enjoy!