Rainbow Pasta Salad
Pasta shapes tossed with cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn, cucumber, peas, sweet pepper and little cubes of cheese in a mild lemon and olive oil dressing. Bright, crunchy and happy to sit in a lunchbox all morning.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, no salt added. Add the pasta and cook for the time on the packet, about 9-11 minutes, adding the frozen peas for the last 2 minutes.
- 200 g pasta
- as needed water
- 80 g frozen peas
✅ Done when: pasta is tender but still firm, peas are bright green and tender
Cool it down
Drain the pasta and peas, then rinse under cold running water until completely cool. Shake the colander well so no water is left clinging to the pasta.
- all cooked pasta and peas from step 1
- as needed cold water
✅ Done when: pasta feels cool to the touch and no water drips when shaken
Make the dressing
In a big bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together until combined. This is the shared dressing - do not add salt to it.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
✅ Done when: mixture looks smooth and slightly thickened
Mix the rainbow
Add the cooled pasta and peas, tomatoes, corn, cucumber, pepper and cheese to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently until every piece is coated and shiny. Serve the children's portions as they are; adults can add a little salt to their own plated portion at the table.
- all cooled pasta and peas from step 2
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 80 g sweetcorn
- ½ cucumber
- ½ bell pepper
- 80 g cheese
- all dressing from step 3
- to taste salt, for adults only at the table
✅ Done when: every ingredient is evenly coated and glossy
Pack
Spoon the salad into lunchbox pots and keep it cold with an ice pack. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
- all pasta salad from step 4
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, no salt added. Add the pasta and cook for the time on the packet, about 9-11 minutes, adding the frozen peas for the last 2 minutes.
- 200 g pasta
- as needed water
- 80 g frozen peas
✅ Done when: pasta is tender but still firm, peas are bright green and tender
Cool it down
Drain the pasta and peas, then rinse under cold running water until completely cool. Shake the colander well so no water is left clinging to the pasta.
- all cooked pasta and peas from step 1
- as needed cold water
✅ Done when: pasta feels cool to the touch and no water drips when shaken
Make the dressing
In a big bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together until combined. This is the shared dressing - do not add salt to it.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
✅ Done when: mixture looks smooth and slightly thickened
Mix the rainbow
Add the cooled pasta and peas, tomatoes, corn, cucumber, pepper and cheese to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently until every piece is coated and shiny. Serve the children's portions as they are; adults can add a little salt to their own plated portion at the table.
- all cooled pasta and peas from step 2
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 80 g sweetcorn
- ½ cucumber
- ½ bell pepper
- 80 g cheese
- all dressing from step 3
- to taste salt, for adults only at the table
✅ Done when: every ingredient is evenly coated and glossy
Pack
Spoon the salad into lunchbox pots and keep it cold with an ice pack. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
- all pasta salad from step 4
The Story Behind the Dish
Cold pasta salads, called insalata di pasta in Italy, are a summer favourite for beach days and picnics. Short pasta shapes hold the dressing and little pieces of vegetable in their curls.
For children, the trick is colour: the more colours in the bowl, the more likely they are to try something new. Eat the rainbow is one of the simplest ways to get five different vegetables into one meal.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's one of the few salads children actually ask for.
💡 Fun Fact
Fusilli are made by wrapping strands of pasta around a thin rod, which is how they get their spring shape.
Italy (pasta), loved worldwide as a picnic salad
40.85°N, 14.27°E
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