Vermicelli Pasta Summer Salad
Vermicelli Pasta Summer Salad is the best Italian pasta dish you can have while lounging by the pool, dreaming of being on the Amalfi coast. Thin vermicelli wheat noodles nestled in a tangy lemon marinade with crisp celery and bell peppers, pimentos and black olives. The secret behind this refreshingly light and lemon-infused pasta salad is the marinade! Serve as an entree salad or side dish.
Light, flavorful and full of texture and seasonings, you’ll want to keep this recipe nearby! Great recipe for when it’s too hot to cook or for large groups!
This marinated pasta salad is one of my favorite summer-go-to-dishes. It’s simple to make, tastes fabulous and is even better as leftovers!
Serve it with a chilled glass of homemade lemonade or sweet tea and call it dinner! (or lunch)
Ingredients
The ingredients for this vermicelli summer pasta salad are simple, but it is important that you use fresh lemon juice and a high quality olive oil. These two ingredients marinate the pasta, giving it a light and refreshing citrus flavor!
The remaining ingredients are:
- Vermicelli wheat pasta-this is thin strand wheat pasta you’ll find on the pasta aisle, not the Asian vermicelli rice noodle. Substitute with thin spaghetti noodles, angel hair pasta, linguine or fettucine.
- Celery
- Pimentos – diced
- Green bell pepper
- Onions – red, purple or scallions
- Black olives-sliced
- Lawry’s seasoned salt
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh lemon juice
- High-quality olive oil
This summer pasta salad actually tastes better the second day! Store in the refrigerator up to 3-days before serving.
How to make marinated pasta salad
You’ll want to give yourself a little time for this summer salad to rest in the refrigerator. I usually allow 2 hours resting time, but I’ve served it only after an hour and it was still very crisp and tasty! This is an overview of the recipe; see recipe card below for exact measurements and instructions.
- Cook the pasta noodles according to the package for an al dente texture
- Rinse and drain pasta; in a large mixing bowl, add pasta and season with Lawry’s seasoned salt, fresh lemon juce and olive oil; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Toss occasionally to combine the flavors
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine choped vegetables, black olives, and mayonnaise; fold into pasta; toss, combine well and refrigerate for at least 30-minutes
- Salt and pepper to taste after the mixture has combined and rested in the refrigerator
Fold mayonnaise mixture into cooked, drained pasta; toss with tongs; cover with plastic wrap or place in a large plastic storage bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours; Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Don’t skip the marinating step
- The key to the success of this marinated salad is the resting time in the refrigerator. For the best results, use fresh lemon juice-not lemon concentrate.
- Use a high-quality olive oil. Some of the grocery store brands are olive oil blends with canola…since there are few ingredients in this dish, you want a flavorful olive oil.
Some of the more reputable and better tasting brands of olive oil are:
- California Olive Ranch™
- Lucini Italia™
- There are quite a few Spanish Olive Oils, as well. Some of these are quite pricey, so keep this in mind, especially if you’re making a big batch of Vermicelli salad.
Serving suggestions
Vermicelli Pasta Summer Salad is a great salad to take to picnics, potlucks or family reunions!
- If you serve this chilled pasta summer salad outdoors, keep the serving bowl on ice so the mayonnaise doesn’t go rancid.
- This pairs well with just about anything – BBQ, ham, chicken or on it’s own! Makes a great entree salad or side dish.
Serve this refreshing salad at a summer gathering and it will be the talk of the party! You might also like Primavera Pasta Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette, Hawaiian Pasta Salad or Hearts of Palm Salad!
Storage
This summer pasta salad retains its fresh flavor when placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, lightly toss the vermicelli, allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then serve!
Variations for Vermicelli Pasta Summer Salad
As written, this is an ideal vegetarian dish; however, if you want to add a protein, I recommend adding cooked chicken, boiled shrimp or fresh crabmeat. Other variations include:
- green olives
- artichoke hearts
- hearts of palm
- red onion
- red bell pepper
- garlic-infused croutons (add at the last minute)
- season with a sprinkle of Cajun or Creole seasoning for a little heat
I like to keep this light and lemon-infused salad on hand when it’s really hot outside! Garnish with a little chopped parsley and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment. I love to hear from you!
Vermicelli Pasta Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz Vermicelli wheat pasta See Recipe Notes below
- 1 tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (high quality)
- 4 oz. pimentos diced, drained
- 1 cup green pepper chopped
- ¾ cup green onions chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 4 oz. black olives drained, sliced
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
- salt and ground white pepper, to taste
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package to al dente; drain and rinse with tap water and transfer to large mixing bowl12 oz Vermicelli wheat pasta
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the following:1 tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 4 tablespoons olive oil (high quality)
- Pour lemon/oil mixture over cooled pasta, toss well, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2 hours is recommended)
- After pasta has marinated, add chopped vegetables and fold in mayonnaise; cover and refrigerate again for at least 30-minutes; taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste4 oz. pimentos, 1 cup green pepper, ¾ cup green onions, 1 cup celery, 4 oz. black olives, 1½ cups mayonnaise, salt and ground white pepper, to taste
- Gently toss before serving and garnish with fresh chopped parsleyfresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Notes
- Note: this recipe calls for Vermicelli pasta–not vermicelli rice noodles. You can substitute with any strand pasta you choose: spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, etc.
- This recipe tastes best if you first combine cooked pasta, seasoned salt, lemon juice and olive oil and transfer to an airtight storage container; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; then add in the mayonnaise and other ingredients.
I’ve been making this for years, but I replace the green bell pepper with chopped roasted red pepper or pimientos. I also add sliced green olives (stuffed w/pimientos). SO GOOD!
I love pasta salads in the summer. This one looks especially good. I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Thank you! This salad tastes better the next day…and, it makes a big batch!