Summer Pasta Salad Platter With Sweet Tea Dressing

This Summer Pasta Salad with Sweet Tea Dressing is the perfect easy summer salad for big crowds. Perfectly cooked pasta, grilled veggies, fresh fruit and savory hard cheese drizzled with a fabulous Sweet Tea Dressing infused with fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil!

This Summer Pasta Salad Platter with Sweet Tea Dressing recipe is the best way to celebrate the season! Perfectly cooked al dente pasta, tender grilled veggies and fruits and your favorite hard cheeses. Finally, this easy pasta salad is drizzled with a fabulous sweet tea dressing, infused with fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil.  Pasta Salad perfection!

Why this recipe works:

This Summer Pasta Salad is simple, fresh, easy, versatile and will be your go-to summer salad whenever you have people over! My Summer Pasta Salad recipe makes a great picnic and potluck option. Also, it’s very kid friendly, easy to transport and just delicious –  served warm or cold.

How to make this Summer Pasta Salad Platter with Sweet Tea Dressing:

Gather your ingredients! Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente in plenty of boiling water and salt. Mix the veggies and fruits with a pinch of salt and olive oil to prepare for the grill.

Grill the veggies for 2 minutes per side on a medium-high grill until tender and slightly charred, remove and set aside to the cooked pasta.

How to make the Sweet Tea Dressing:

For my Sweet Tea Dressing,  I started out with an aromatic base of garlic, plenty of herbs, a touch of mustard and olive oil.

Instead of using orange juice or any citrus here, I used the Gold Peak Sweet Ice Tea (the diet version). I couldn’t believe how crazy delicious the salad dressing ended up with the tea. I found it so mellow, sweet and perfectly balanced. It probably sounds crazy, but bear with me! It tastes delicious.

Prepare the Sweet Tea Dressing: In a food processor, add all of the sweet tea dressing ingredients and process them until the sauce is smooth. If you prefer a thicker salad dressing, add 2 tablespoons more of olive oil. For a runnier sauce, add 2 tablespoons more of the Gold Peak Sweet Tea.

Assemble the Summer Pasta Platter by adding your favorite ingredients alongside the grilled veggies and fruits to the pasta.

Measure out 1/4 cup of the sweet tea dressing and drizzle it over the pasta, and gently toss it. Take another 1/4 cup of the sweet tea sauce and drizzle it over the platter ingredients, and keep the remaining sauce on the side.

When the cold Sweet Tea Dressing hits the hot food, the flavors get infused beautifully into your food adding bright fresh flavor to your pasta and veggies.

How to plate you Summer Pasta Salad:

First of all, a Pasta Salad platter like this is summer BBQ perfection! I love plating it as you can see in the picture – with all ingredients separate.

Also, I added some bocconcini cheese on the side and some olives, and I love it when everyone assembles their perfect pasta salad plate to their taste.

That way, if you are vegan or not a cheese person, you can focus more on the fruits and veggies. If you’re not an asparagus person, then you can rather skip it.

I placed the extra Sweet Tea Dressing on the side for everyone to season their Summer Pasta Salad to their taste.

A presentation like this feels more flexible and inviting to everyone. However, if you like one big bowl of salad, you can chop the grilled veggies and fruits. Mix them with the cooked pasta, sweet tea dressing and serve it as one big bowl of summer pasta salad.

Tips for success:

• Feel free to use your favorite veggies and fruit for this Summer Pasta Salad, and throw in some fresh kale or spinach, some more cheeses or chopped nuts. Mostly everything works!
• If you wanted to include some type of grilled fish, meat or chicken into this Summer Pasta Salad platter, all you’ll need to do is salt and pepper the protein of your choice and grill it along with the veggies.
• The Sweet Tea Dressing keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks.
• Make a large batch of the Sweet Tea Dressing: It’s great on salads, grilled meats, and when mixed with a little mayo, it makes a fabulous sandwich spread.

4.5 from 2 votes

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Summer Pasta Salad Platter With Sweet Tea Dressing

This Summer Pasta Salad with Sweet Tea Dressing is the perfect easy summer salad for big crowds. Perfectly cooked pasta, grilled veggies, fresh fruit, and savory hard cheese drizzled with a fabulous Sweet Tea Dressing infused with fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil! 

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta salad platter, pasta salad with sweet tea dressing, summer pasta salad

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 744 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 1 box farfalle pasta (your favorite type—I used mini bow ties)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 l boiling water

For the Grilled veggies and fruit:

• 1 bunch asparagus —2lbs
• 1 box cocktail tomatoes —2lbs
• 1 lbs fresh pitted apricots and peaches
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided

For the dressing:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Gold Peak Sweet Tea ( any flavor—I used diet)
• 1/3 cup olive oil

To assemble:

• mixed olives
• mixed nuts
• bocconcini cheese ( feta, goat or any other cheese)
• fresh spinach or kale

Instructions

1. Cook the Pasta according to package directions for al dente in plenty of boiling water and salt.

2. Mix the veggies and fruits with a pinch of salt and olive oil to prepare for the grill.
3. Grill the veggies for 2 minutes per side on a medium high grill until tender and slightly charred, remove and set aside to the cooked pasta.
4. Prepare the sauce: In a food processor, add all the sweet tea sauce ingredients and process until the sauce is smooth. If you prefer a thicker sauce—add 2 tablespoons more of olive oil, for a runnier sauce, add 2 tablespoons more of the Gold Peak Sweet Tea.
5. Assemble the summer pasta platter by adding your favorite ingredients alongside the grilled veggies and fruits.
6. Take 1/4 cup of the sweet tea sauce and drizzle it over the pasta, and gently toss it.
7. Take another 1/4 cup of the sweet tea sauce and drizzle it over the platter ingredients, and keep the remaining sauce on the side.
8. Enjoy your summer platter by adding your favorite ingredients to the pasta and drizzle with extra sauce.

Recipe Notes

• Feel free to use your favorite veggies and fruit for this Summer Pasta Salad, and throw in some fresh kale or spinach, some more cheeses or chopped nuts. Mostly everything works!
• If you wanted to include some type of grilled fish, meat or chicken into this Summer Pasta Salad platter, all you’ll need to do is salt and pepper the protein of your choice and grill it along with the veggies.
• The Sweet Tea Dressing keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks.
• Make a large batch of the Sweet Tea Dressing: It’s great on salads, grilled meats, and when mixed with a little mayo, it makes a fabulous sandwich spread.

Nutrition Facts

Summer Pasta Salad Platter With Sweet Tea Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 744 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 27g 42%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Sodium 1875mg 78%

Potassium 989mg 28%

Total Carbohydrates 106g 35%

Dietary Fiber 9g 36%

Sugars 18g

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 68%

Vitamin C 31.3%

Calcium 8.9%

Iron 30.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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