This pasta salad brings me back to the days when my grandma, Isabel tossed a handful of red grapes and pasta together for a simple, yet delicious meal.
My sister and I couldn’t get enough of this.
It was just so darn good.
And so as I grew up, my mother made a similar red grape and pasta salad each week- kept it in our fridge and let us enjoy it for an afternoon snack before soccer practice or for a quick dinner if we had lots of homework.
My mom’s famous recipe involves tuna, red grapes, mayo and pasta however I’ve dolled this one up a bit differently…
More Amie style.
After going back n’ forth with a few different ideas, I decided to go with a sweet orange n’ grape pasta salad. It’s a bit different from the days when my grandma made it- but it’s just as tasty.
It’s a pretty bowl of gluten-free pasta, Greek plain yogurt, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice and fresh parsley.
Simple yet so satisfying.
Let me tell you, you’ll need a whole lotta this to serve at your Labor Day BBQ or picnic because everyone’s gunna want seconds.
There are a million and one variations of pasta salad on the internet but since I wanted to be unique and different from all the others- I thought the orange zest n’ juice would be the perfect addition without adding sugar or processed dressings.
You can surely taste the orange flavor but it’s not overwhelming. It’s a great spin on your classic pasta salad you see at every BBQ – so why not give it a shot and toss a few of these ingredients together for a Labor Day dish you surely won’t forget.
You’ll probably wanna make it again next week. And that’s actually a great idea.
Because with the kiddies heading back to school – you’ll need a simple meal like this to have on the table in under 10 minutes.
Not too shabby, eh?
It’s a sweet variation of those boring pasta salads you see in the store and would be great with a side of baked tortilla chips and strawberry lemonade.
But then again, what’s not great with a nice big ol’ glass of lemonade?
So, before you head on over to your fridge and pantry to whip up this pretty purple (polka dot) pasta salad, take a trip on over to visit my pal, Lori at Groovy Green Livin’. She has a few fun tips for you on how to Green your Labor Day BBQ.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound gluten-free pasta
- 2 Tbsp. Greek Fat Free plain yogurt
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 2 tsp. fresh orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound red grapes
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
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In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; gently toss to combine.
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Transfer pasta salad to four serving bowls.
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Serve chilled.
Annie,
My 13 year old son has been recently diagnosed with soy, gluten & oats allergies. I am seeking a GF pasta that tastes great chilled. Please tell me which brand you use in this dish!! I have tried so many in the past few months that didn’t pass his taste test. Many thanks for your wonderful recipes!
I used Tru Roots Gluten-Free Penne pasta. Their products are amazing and I love them all. Have you tried them? They have numerous products such as lentils and mung beans too! Hope that helps. Have a great weekend Lynn; always happy to help you as I too have the same allergies and dairy as you son! xoox
Wonderful recipe. love your fantastic guidance!!
Awe; thank you so much Charlene. I am so happy to hear from you! Have a great weekend. xo
Yum, what a great idea. I’ve haven’t tried grapes in a pasta salad…yet.
Shared on my Facebook page 🙂
Thanks so much Laureen; great to hear from you! Thank you for sharing this on your facebook page; have a wonderful night!
This looks beautiful! Your pictures are so pretty. What kind of camera do you use?
Thank you Alaine; so nice to hear from you and thank you for your kind words! I use a Nikon D3100 and I love it. I bought it last year and it’s amazing; so fun to use and manageable. Hope that helps; have a great night!
Love the idea of adding grapes to this salad! They add a pop of color, not to mention a juicy crunchy. Counting down the minutes until our apple invasion 🙂
Thanks Kelly! They’re nice n’ sweet; so excited for our apple party next week. xox
Beautiful, Amie, as usual! Can’t wait to try this – and I just got a huge bag of grapes from the farmer’s market – they are so crisp and juicy! Miss you my dear! xoxo
Thanks darling! Miss you more and hope you enjoy this fun pasta salad.