Rainbow Pasta Salad

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Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked pasta
  • ½ cup Italian salad dressing
  • ½ cup each of four different vegetables. For example:
    • ½ cup cherry tomatoes
    • ½ cup shredded carrots
    • ½ cup summer squash
    • ½ cup peas

Live Well Tips

  • Learn how to create this delicious recipe with this video!
  • To make this a full meal, add a protein like chicken, chick peas, or tofu.
  • Dark green and orange veggies provide Vitamin A, which is good for your eyes.
  • Red and yellow veggies like tomatoes and summer squash provide Vitamin C, which helps keep your immune system strong.

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  3. Rinse cherry tomatoes under running water and chop in halves. Dice summer squash.
  4. Place all vegetables in a large serving bowl.
  5. After pasta has cooked and cooled, add it to the bowl of vegetables.
  6. Pour Italian salad dressing over the pasta. Stir well until everything is combined.

Cook Together! Making Rainbow Pasta Salad with Kids

This dish is fun and easy for kids of every age. They can help pick out their favorite veggies to add to the salad. Kids will also enjoy watching all the colorful foods come together to make a beautiful snack!

Easy Tasks

  • Gather ingredients and equipment.
  • Wash fresh foods, drain, and pat dry.
  • Add ingredients to the serving bowl.

Intermediate Tasks

  • Pour salad dressing over the pasta.
  • Measure all ingredients.

Difficult Tasks

  • With an age-appropriate knife, chop cherry tomatoes and dice summer squash.
  • Mix all ingredients together in one bowl.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size 1 cup: Calories–300; Protein–8g; Carbohydrate–43g; Total Fat–11g; Saturated Fat–1g; Cholesterol–20mg; Fiber–2g; Sodium–35mg; Vitamin C–88%; Vitamin A–17%; Iron–4%; Calcium–0%

Adapted from Read for Health curriculum, Washington State University Extension