I had the best low-key Memorial weekend ever!
We kicked it off with the Memorial Day Murph on Saturday. Sunday, I made my 3-Bean Salad for a friend's BBQ. And Monday we stayed in and grilled at home. Mom brought over a fabulous bone-in pork roast (so mad I didn't snap a pic of that bad boy in the grill), and I made this simple pasta salad.
I'm calling this a "Dump Salad" because that all you do. You literally dump all the ingredients in a bowl and eat. There's no chopping or cleaning, no mess, no fuss, just a simple salad with ingredients you may already have in your pantry.
I loved it! And I've been eating the leftovers all week for lunch with some added grilled chicken. The family liked it too. Mom thought it needed a bit more vinegar, The Husband thought it was fine the way it was. However, he's more of a mayo-salad guy. Yuck.
The kids didn't like that it was cold. Cold. Where's the eye-roll emoji? It's supposed to be cold.
Whatevs. What do they know anyway?
I hope it gives you some ideas.
📖 Recipe
Pesto Pasta Dump Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound tricolor pasta
- 1 jar artichoke hearts 12oz
- ¼ cup prepared/jarred pesto
- 1 small jar capers 4oz
- 2 bags of frozen mixed vegetables Sicilian blend 2lbs
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package.1 pound tricolor pasta
- While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing by draining the artichoke hearts and capers in a small bowl and reserving the liquid. Mix the liquid from both jars with ¼ cup pesto. Set aside.1 jar artichoke hearts, ¼ cup prepared/jarred pesto, 1 small jar capers
- When the pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add the bags of frozen veggies and toss until defrosted.2 bags of frozen mixed vegetables Sicilian blend
- Top with the dressing, artichoke hearts and capers. Toss until everything is well combined. Enjoy or chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- You could use any shape pasta but shoot for something "curly" it helps soak up the flavors.Â
- If you can't find a Sicilian blend frozen veggie bag, look for one with squash, carrots, and cauliflower. They were the best additions. That said though, any frozen veggie mix would work. Go for what you like!Â
- If you don't like capers, olives could work too.Â
