A Sweet Moment with Peach Arugula Pasta Salad

This Peach Arugula Pasta Salad is the perfect summer salad to bring to potluck, baby or bridal shower, or enjoy on a hot evening for dinner. You can also add chicken!

If life were a peach, I’d eat one every day! I wouldn’t just set them on the counter, because they are pretty to look at (and they smell so sweet!), but I’d cook with them like crazy and enjoy them and share them with my friends. And share the recipes and dishes with my friends!

Our life is a gift, and our friendships are a gift. (And today’s my birthday, so I’m thankful for all of my beautiful friends in my life.)

Getting ready to eat!

For me, there’s really no greater moment in entertaining, than right before the meal. Since we serve so many buffet-style meals in our home, that’s when we gather around the food–plates in hand–and give thanks, or gather around the table with heaping plates, ready to dig in. Everyone looks at each other … is it time?

That look and feeling makes me happy.

It’s a level of anticipation … which is a very sweet moment.

A perfect peach is …

Back to the peach, as I have a few sitting on my counter. I thought I’d share a few tips about peaches, so you aren’t disappointed when you either bite into one (that isn’t ripe), or find that it’s mushy and soft (nothing worse).

When I bring my peaches home, I set them on the counter or window sill, stem down.

A perfect peach is soft (when gently squeezed), and has a very sweet scent to it.

Buy local, as the ones in the store tend to be mealy (yucky!), because they are refrigerated for more than a week before they get to the store.

There are 3 types of peaches: white, donut and yellow. The recipe I’m sharing today I made with yellow peaches, which are sweet, and have the perfect texture.

Now that July is here, we can officially say it’s peach season. YAY!

Peach Arugula Pasta Salad.

Our favorite pasta is DeLallo, and we make a lot of pasta salads in the summertime.

This one was inspired by my friend Kristin’s garden, when she handed me a big bag of her fresh arugula. Oh, the smell …. mouthwatering!

I cooked the pasta.

Added the arugula, bacon, red onion, peaches, cheese, and fresh basil.

Made a light vinaigrette, and I actually brought this dish to a dinner party we were invited to. :)

So summery-fresh! ENJOY!

What’s the first peach recipe that you’ll be making this year?

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Peach Arugula Pasta Salad

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

• 1 package cooked bowtie pasta, I use DeLallo brand
• 6-8 slices cooked crumbled bacon
• 2 peaches, cut into chunks
• 2 handfuls fresh arugula
• 1 cup Perlini, tiny mozzarella balls or chopped fresh mozzarella
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Toss cooled pasta with crumbled bacon, chopped peaches, fresh mozzarella, chopped basil, olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Gently mix; serve!

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

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