Cool Cucumber Pasta

This warmer weather has me craving cool salads like this Cool Cucumber Pasta salad. (I’m sorry to those of you who actually have SNOW on the ground in May!) It’s sweet and tangy and perfect for summer barbecues because there’s no mayo. It’s great for lunch, too.

I got the recipe from my friend Lisa about 15+ years ago! I believe she got it from a magazine, but my old, faded, and handwritten recipe card doesn’t say the source.

Here’s how you make it…

Cool Cucumber Pasta
Ingredients:
8 oz. tube pasta, like ziti
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
2 medium cucumbers or 1 long hot house cucumber, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1 medium red onion, sliced thin (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse to cool.
2. In a large bowl, stir the pasta with the oil, cucumbers, and onion.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients with a whisk and pour over the pasta.
4. Chill for 3-4 hours, stirring it up a few times while chilling.
5. Stir again before serving.

*The pasta will absorb some of the liquid as it sits. You will need to stir it up before serving each time as the liquid will settle to the bottom of the bowl.

If you’d like to check out another cold salad great for entertaining, check out this Fiesta Salad or this Mango and Jicama Salad!

Enjoy!