Sandra's Easy Cooking

One of my favorite ways to enjoy stress-free, delicious lunch us by making this amazing, Colorful Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing.

Photo-shoots require some serious brainstorming. I know many photographers that go through Pinterest for example and see what theme would be the best for that particular photo-shoot.

To explain even further, Pinterest is amazing for real. You can make your own secret board. Such as, set the colors, props and what theme is the best, how to set up, inspo pics, so you can see exactly what colors go together or what theme goes perfectly with your dish.

For me personally, I plan all that in my head. Sometimes I need a couple of hours of brainstorming and sometimes I take 5 days until I am completely satisfied.

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Yes, I do search for inspo pictures online sometimes when I hit the brick wall, and that is okay. You get inspired, and then you translate that inspo pic, a piece of art into your own creation.

You must always add your own twist even if you find a picture that is perfect and you would love to recreate it.

On the other note, My BLOG is back, baby! Yes!!!! After 3 weeks of going back and forth, I am finally back. It was HELL, to say the least.

I was so stressed that I could not even sleep more than 2 to 3 hours a day. I am so thankful for my little team, the new host who guided me through and of course for your tremendous patience.

Thanks so all your support!!!

My heart is pounding with the excitement that I will be able to continue sharing recipes, and that the website will be much faster for you guys.

The hard part is not over! I still have to go through many recipes and adjust pictures, reshoot and correct to match this theme of the website.

It is lots of work, but so worth it. I lost many recipes in the process, around 200, but I will not stress anymore because I have decided to repost them with new pictures and updated recipes. Sounds like a good plan, right?

You may also like:

• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Creamy Summer Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad

Okay to cut the story short, I really hope you guys make this recipe and please don’t be shy.

If you make Colorful Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing, tag me on Instagram. @sandraseasycooking and use hashtags #sandraseasycooking I would love to see your creations!!!

HAPPY COOKING!!! XO

Yield: SERVES 6

Colorful Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

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Easy and tasty pasta salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb 5 Color Pasta Any pasta would be okay; farfalle, rigatoni, campanelle, rotini, 3 color pasta, etc.
• 2 cups Broccoli Slaw
• 1/2 cup Red Cabbage also known as purple cabbage
• 1/4-1/2 lb Cherry Tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 medium Zucchini sliced
• 1 cup Black Olives *optional
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Pasta Vinaigrette Dressing
• 2 teaspoons Stone Ground Mustard Seeds 1 tsp. Substitute with Stone Ground Mustard or 1½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Pink Salt or to taste
• 2 Garlic cloves lightly crushed with the side of a knife blade and chopped
• 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Italian Herbs Blend
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup Olive oil

Instructions

1. Boil a large pot of water and add a generous amount of salt, add pasta and cook according to the package. I like pasta for salads to have a bit of bite so "al dente" is perfect. After the pasta is cooked, drain and run cold water over it. Shake colander and allow pasta to cool down. This is only if you going to use pasta for the pasta salad.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the Pasta Vinaigrette Dressing. Add salt to taste. I always start with 1/2 teaspoon. Mix it and set aside. 
3. Now add to the pasta broccoli slaw, halved tomatoes, sliced red cabbage, zucchini, black olives. 
4. Add about 1 tablespoon of dressing in the pasta then stir, add the rest of the ingredients and add dressing, a tablespoon at the time until you reach taste that you want.
5. Stir well, and serve. Leftovers place in the airtight container and keep refrigerated.

Notes

The best way to mix homemade dressing is a glass jar with fitted lid. Not only that you can shake it to combine the ingredients, but also if you don't use it all you can save it for the next time.

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Simple, delicious, and easy veggie-packed vegetarian pasta salad is colorful and perfect for upcoming summer days, grilling season, and potlucks.

My family loves this Vegetarian Pasta Salad, and I make it often especially when we have a family gathering.

For those of you that visiting my blog for the first time, I have to tell you that we just moved to a new platform so everything looks a bit off, empty, and unorganized.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE TASTY PASTA RECIPE IDEAS

It will take an enormous amount of time and work to fix everything, adjust the pictures, and recipes, and connect again with the social media world.

At this time about 90% of recipes on my blog look funny, with many pictures overlapping.

I downsized to about 500 recipes, and lost some in the process. I believe that I have fixed about 40 recipes and with that many pictures.

Like I said it will take forever to fix everything. I hope you guys will understand and still visit my blog. My website going to be awesome when everything is finally done.

Check out my Delicious Salad Recipe ideas

Of course, if you have any suggestions or recipe requests never hesitate to ask me via comment or e-mail ([email protected])

Thanks so much for your understanding, support, and love!

Sandra

Yield: Serves 6

Vegetarian Pasta Salad

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Simple, delicious and easy veggie-packed vegetarian pasta salad is colorful and perfect for upcoming summer days, grilling season and potlucks.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb pack Pasta; farfalle, macaroni, rigatoni, etc.
• 1/2 English Cucumber, diced
• 2 Bell Peppers, diced
• 1/4-1/2 Red Onion, diced
• 1 cup Black Olives, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley

Vinaigrette:

• 8 tablespoons 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons White or Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice the best from the ripe lemon
• 1 tablespoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or to taste
• 1 /2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar

Instructions

1. Mix together vinaigrette dressing first and set aside until sugar is dissolved completely. Use a jar with a fitted lid to make any dressing. All you need to do is add all ingredients in the jar, close it with a lid and shake.
2. Cook pasta according to box directions and rinse under cold water until cool. For Pasta salad you always wash pasta under cold water.
3. Dice and slice all the vegetables.
4. Pour half of the vinaigrette over cold pasta and mix to coat very well.
5. Add vegetables to the pasta bowl and mix it all together.
6. Pour the rest of the vinaigrette and toss pasta salad ones again to coat everything.
7. You may have to add extra olive oil and/or vinegar to get it to the desired consistency because some of you like it juicier.

Notes

• I had leftover Peppers of each color, so I used 4 different Bell Peppers 1/2 red, 1/2 green, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 orange. Since each of them tastes really different, the taste was phenomenal. If you can buy one of each and just slice in half and dice only one half for the salad and use the rest for something else, such as Stir Fry, Fajitas, Roasted Veggies, omelet, another salad, etc.
• You can add feta or even mozzarella cheese in this salad. It will not hurt it, but it tastes amazing just like this.

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I adore Shrimp in Lemon and Garlic Sauce. Lemon , garlic, and butter sauce is the best in shrimp dishes. This is one of our favorite shrimp recipes, and I serve it usually over creamy pasta. It is absolutely HEAVENLY! 

These shrimp go incredibly well with spaghetti squash, over-bowl greens, zoodles, cauliflower rice, and zucchini noodles. If none of those appeal to you, which I would be shocked if it doesn’t, but lets pretend, then grab a loaf of Italian or French bread and dip it in before eating.

Let me tell you, friends, you should most definitely try it.

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I could have done that in the past or I could not. These have the nicest flavor and scent, by far. You must try this recipe since it is incredibly simple and delicious.

I frequently make this when my spouse and I do dates at home. Also, when we have guests who do not have allergies, you can find this dish along with pasta on our table.  The most memorable memories are made over a meal!

Seafood recipes you might like:

Shrimp Rice Bowls

Classic Beer Battered Fried Fish

Easy Shrimp and Grits

If you decide to make these Easy Salmon Rice Bowls please let me know in the comments or share it with me on social media such as Instagram or Facebook; @sandraseasycooking with the same hashtag #sandraseasycooking. If you are private you can DM me a pic.

 Also, check my Amazon store. I am Amazon affiliated and I add things that I love, use, or used in the past. I love Amazon and shop there often so it was a no-brainer to join their program.

Check out my New Blog called Mug Of Reality. I just started a few months ago and it is still a work in progress but I love this process.

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

Shrimp in Lemon and Garlic Sauce

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Shrimp in Lemon and Garlic Sauce Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds shrimp, with a tail peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 3-5 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, use ripe Lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon organic tumeric powder optional, read notes
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

GARNISH

• Fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Clean, peel, and devein shrimp then pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. If you want to save time you can get already deveined and peeled shrimp.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat.
3. To the butter add cleaned, shrimp and season the shrimp with sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste.
4. Cook for about two minutes on each side, the shrimp is cooked when it turns completely pink, make sure to stir; Remove from the pan and set aside on a platter or a plate.
5. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the skillet, then add the garlic and cook for about one minute.
6. Add lemon juice, and turmeric powder. Cook, while slightly moving the skillet or just stir the butter, garlic, lemon juice, and turmeric together.
7. Cook it for a couple of minutes at medium-high temperature, continuously stirring.
8. Return the shrimp back to the skillet and stir to coat the shrimp with the butter mixture and cook for an additional minute or so. Add lemon zest and stir again. This is just to combine all the flavors and allow the shrimp to soak in the lemony flavor.
9. Take off the heat. Taste test, and add more salt or lemon juice to please your taste buds.
10. Garnish with parsley if you desire. The best served over pasta.

Notes

I add turmeric powder for the color, plus it got amazing health benefits. It is, of course, optional.

If the shrimp are precooked and frozen, thaw them first completely. Submerge the shrimp under cold water and let it sit until defrosted for about 10-15 minutes. Then take kitchen paper towels and make sure to dry the shrimp completely before cooking it.

if it is pre-cooked you don't need as much time to cook on each side. Just make a sauce and toss pre-cooked shrimp in it to heat it through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 411Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 517mgSodium: 2285mgCarbohydrates: 7gNet Carbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 52g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate, but we try our best.

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