Summer Fruit Pasta Salad is a delightful side dish that is perfect for BBQ’s and family gatherings during the hot summer months! Making this summer pasta salad recipe is so easy, it comes together quickly and it an appetizing dish that everyone will enjoy.
The pasta fruit salad ingredients are simple, with under 10 items needed, this dish is great for bringing to potlucks as it feeds a crowd well. This fruit pasta salad combines to salads that we all know and love, give it a try today and you will not be disappointed!
What is Pasta Salad with Fruit?
I had never thought of this combination of pasta and fruit salad until several years ago at a church function. A woman had brought it and I saw it on the buffet table, I was skeptic at first but decided I needed to try it. How could it be bad, I love pasta salad and I LOVE all types of different fruit. Well, to say I was not disappointed is an understatement! This pasta salad with fruit is a chilled dish, light and refreshing with soft noodles with juicy bites of fruit. Obviously I had to recreate this side dish to make my own version, I have fine tuned it over the years and this recipe below is the one my family and I enjoy the most. It is easy to make as well as inexpensive, two major pros in my book!
Fruit Pasta Salad Ingredients
Pasta: 1/2 package of penne pasta, cooked and cooled. You can use any type of pasta you have on hand, bow-ties or even macaroni would be great too.
Light mayo: You will need ¼ cup of light mayo to make this pasta salad light and creamy.
Sour cream: Adding ¼ cup of sour cream gives this dish a fantastic refreshing flavor.
Chicken: I like to make this really easy and use 1 can chicken, shredded. You can use any size you like, 12-18 oz is best to give it a decent amount of meat and protein. Or you can choose to leave this item out for a meatless salad.
Pineapple: Use 1 8-ounce can of pineapple chunks to give this salad a nice tropical taste.
Apple: You need 1 apple, diced, to add in a nice bit of crisp texture and delicious flavor.
Grapes: Add in 2 cups of small red grapes for an extra juicy fruity blast.
Salt: Adding a dash or two of salt will give this pasta a great balance with all the sweet fruit.
Optional: If desired, add in a few dashes of onion powder. I use a few shakes of this McCormick All Purpose seasoning blend where the main ingredient is onion powder.
How to make Summer Fruit Pasta Salad
Cook pasta
Start by cooking the pasta according to directions on package.
Then, rinse with cold water until pasta has sufficiently cooled and drain pasta really well. I like to lay out 2 paper towels and spread pasta on top, then blot with more paper towels. This ensures all the moisture is out, which results in a tastier pasta salad.
To save even more time, make the pasta the night before, let it cool after cooking and spray lightly with oil. Store in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
Assemble
In a large bowl, pour in the prepared pasta.
Next, add the mayo and sour cream and stir well to combine fully.
Then, open the can of chicken and can of pineapple chunks, drain both and add them to the pasta. Mix well to combine.
After that, dice the apple into small chunks and add to the salad.
Also, wash the grapes and remove all stems, dry on a paper towel before adding to the pasta salad.
Lastly, add in the salt and alternate optional seasoning.
Stir the pasta salad with fruit well to fully combine the seasonings and the fruit.
If you have time, set the bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. But, this is not required.
Serve cold and enjoy!
Summer Fruit Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ package of penne pasta cooked and cooled
- ¼ cup Light mayo
- ¼ cup Sour cream
- 1 can Shredded Chicken You can use any size you like, 12-18 oz
- 1 can 8-ounce can of pineapple chunks
- 1 Apple diced
- 2 cups Small Red Grapes
- Dash or two of salt
- Optional: If desired add in a few dashes of onion powder. I use a few shakes of this McCormick All Purpose seasoning blend where the main ingredient is onion powder.
Instructions
Cook pasta
- Start by cooking the pasta according to directions on package.
- Then, rinse with cold water until pasta has sufficiently cooled and drain pasta really well. I like to lay out 2 paper towels and spread pasta on top, then blot with more paper towels. This ensures all the moisture is out, which results in a tastier pasta salad.
- To save even more time, make the pasta the night before, let it cool after cooking and spray lightly with oil. Store in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
Assemble
- In a large bowl, pour in the prepared pasta.
- Next, add the mayo and sour cream and stir well to combine fully.
- Then, open the can of chicken and can of pineapple chunks, drain both and add them to the pasta. Mix well to combine.
- After that, dice the apple into small chunks and add to the salad.
- Also, wash the grapes and remove all stems, dry on a paper towel before adding to the pasta salad.
- Lastly, add in the salt and alternate optional seasoning.
- Stir the pasta salad with fruit well to fully combine the seasonings and the fruit.
- If you have time, set the bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. But, this is not required.
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Can I use alternative ingredients in this salad?
Feel free to substitute different items to use what you have on hand. Toss in the leftover grilled chicken from last week’s dinner, cut into chunks. Once, instead of mayo and sour cream, I used homemade plain yogurt and it was incredible! Strawberries would be a yummy addition as well.
How long is pasta salad with fruit good for?
Pasta salad is good for 3-4 days if kept stored properly in the fridge. Freshest is best, so enjoy it as soon as you can for the best results.
Can you freeze left over summer fruit pasta salad?
You can indeed! Store it in an airtight container or freezer safe ziplocked back for up to 2-3 months. Defrost by putting in the refrigerator for a few hours before enjoying.
If you loved this recipe, try our other popular salad recipes!
- Fancy Fruit Salad
- Orange Cream Fruit Salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad
- Creamy Orange Fruit Salad
- Berries and Cream Salad
- Cream Cheese Grape Salad
- Berry Spinach Salad
- Copycat KFC Coleslaw recipe
- Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad
- Spinach Chicken Pasta Salad
- Pizza Pasta Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
Summer Fruit Pasta Salad is a delicious side dish that is perfect for potlucks and family get togethers during the summer months. Making this summer pasta salad recipe is so simple, it comes together fast and it an amazing dish that everyone will love.
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