The Pioneer Woman has dozens of great pasta salad recipes. And with Labor Day cookouts on the horizon, here are four of her best salads—all of which would be perfect for an end-of-summer barbeque.
The Pioneer Woman’s Italian Pasta Salad is full of flavor
Ree Drummond knows how to pack tons of flavor and texture into any dish. And her Italian Pasta Salad is no exception.
To get started, she whisks together a dressing using pesto, red wine vinegar, grated garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Drummond then cooks rotini pasta.
Once the pasta is drained and cooled, she tosses it with halved cherry tomatoes, diced salami, fresh mozzarella pearls, sliced black olives, sliced bell peppers, and diced red onions, grated parmesan cheese, salt, fresh basil, and fresh parsley. She then drizzles the salad with the reserved dressing and garnishes it with additional fresh herbs.
Her Greek Pasta Salad features fresh vegetables and feta cheese
The Pioneer Woman’s Greek Pasta Salad is sure to please those craving Mediterranean flavors. She starts by boiling, draining, and cooling bowtie pasta.
Next, Drummond whisks together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. She then adds halved grape tomatoes and chopped red onion, and allows them to marinate in the dressing for about 10 minutes.
Lastly, Drummond tosses in the pasta, chopped pitted kalamata olives, chopped cucumber, capers, and fresh herbs. She then tops the pasta salad with crumbled feta cheese.
Ree Drummond’s Caprese Pasta Salad is ridiculously easy to make
The Pioneer Woman’s Caprese Pasta Salad is a quick and easy side dish that can be served at room temperature, making it perfect for any summer cookout. To get started, Drummond boils, drains, and cools Casarecce pasta and tosses it with olive oil. She notes that any short or small pasta, like penne or rotini, can also be used.
While the pasta cools, Drummond whisks olive oil with white balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and grated garlic in a bowl. She then adds halved cherry tomatoes and small mozzarella pearls and lets them marinate for about 15 minutes.
Drummond then tosses in the cooled pasta. And she garnishes the salad with fresh basil and chili flakes (optional).
Her BLT Pasta Salad is a fresh take on a sandwich favorite
Drummond combines all the great flavors of a great bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich with pasta for her BLT Pasta Salad. She starts by cooking bacon in a large skillet. She then cools and crumbles it into bite-size pieces.
While she uses fusilli, Drummond suggests any curly pasta will work for this recipe. She boils, drains, and cools the pasta under cold water.
In a separate bowl, Drummond whisks together whole milk with mayonnaise, a packet of ranch seasoning, grated parmesan cheese, black pepper, and lemon juice. She then tosses in the cooked pasta, along with halved grape tomatoes, sliced romaine lettuce, chopped red onions, and chopped fresh herbs.
The crumbled bacon is then folded into the salad just before serving. For those making the salad ahead of time, Drummond suggests leaving the bacon and lettuce out until it’s ready to be served.
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