Your Pasta Salads Will Be The Star Of The Cookout When You Drizzle On This Flavorful Sauce

When the grills and coolers start to emerge from their hiding spots, it's a surefire sign that cookout season is upon us. Though some might see the proteins as the star of the show, it's the sides that make the meal when it comes to al fresco potlucks — especially if you know how to make a good pasta salad. Often written off as a banal, flavorless offering, when dressed correctly, pasta salad can outshine even the juiciest burger. 

One effective, fairly simple technique involves adding half the dressing to the salad in advance before refrigerating it, and half just before serving, but this trick obviously works best when your dressing is as good as it can be — and it doesn't get much better than chimichurri. This zesty South American sauce is not only an amazing marinade, but also an innovative, flavor-packed way to zhuzh up your pasta sauce. Common in Argentine, Uruguayan, Paraguayan, and Brazilian cuisine, this herby, spicy condiment features a combination of fresh chopped parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, and white wine vinegar stirred together with olive oil and a pinch of salt. 

The result is a luscious, bright, zesty sauce that's traditionally served on everything from fish and lamb to grilled veggies. Mixed into pasta salad, it infuses the dish with summery, spicy deliciousness, with the olive oil ensuring each piece of penne, cube of cheese, and errant olive is evenly coated. Its flavors are bold and complex, but versatile enough to work well with a wide variety of traditional (and maybe some not-so-traditional) pasta salad ingredients.

The biggest question when it comes to using chimichurri to dress your pasta salad is whether to purchase it or make some at home. Most recipes call for a base of leafy parsley (though some use cilantro)  blitzed together in your food processor with the aforementioned combination of olive oil, vinegar, and various spicy, smoky, and tangy ingredients that are fairly easy to find in most grocery stores. Making it at home also allows you to customize the flavor profile and use ingredients you love, including giving your pasta salad the bruschetta treatment by tossing some beautifully fresh tomatoes and basil into your chimichurri (we won't tell).

However, if you're in a hurry, there's nothing wrong with grabbing a jar of the premade stuff, which should also be fairly easy to find at your local grocery store. For instance, Goya's chimichurri sauce — which features a blend of parsley, apple cider vinegar, and white pepper — is available at Walmart.

Of course, possibly the most important question is what to put in your pasta salad to help the chimichurri sing. In terms of proteins, shrimp and crab are certainly options, as is cubed steak for something a little heartier. As for cheese and veggies, crumbled feta is always welcome, though softer mozzarella pearls work well, too. Olives are a must for some, and will blend beautifully with the chimichurri's zesty tanginess, as will red onion, pickled artichoke hearts, or lightly roasted broccoli and asparagus.