I just realized that I may be too narrow in my question. Please share any summer salads you particularly like.

That sounds good.

One of my favorites is steamed baby vegetables with herb vinaigrette. It can have pasta in it too. :) The veg should all be about the size and shape of a grape tomato. If those aren't available, I try to do some long, like baby snacking carrots, baby zucchini and baby corn, and some round. Also, the tomatoes, little cauliflower florets, etc. Whatever is fresh and good. Shells (the tight kind) are a good pasta with this. It makes an excellent summer picnic salad. Dressing ahead of time is essential for the flavors to blend, so no on site mess, and there's nothing to wilt.

I like a pasta salad with a vinagrette rather than a creamy dressing.....and very often just wing it....always have a container of my home made dijon honey balsamic in the fridge and I cook up some pasta 9 or use leftover) and add veggies as the spirit moves me. If using "hard" vegetables like broccoli, carrots and cauliflower, I steam just a tiny bit before adding, but all else just gets chopped up and dumped in.
I often make a vegetable salad for big church luncheons and I do cukes, zucchinni, yellow squash, onion, celery, peppers of different colors, broccoli, pea pods cut into inch length, carrots, halved cherry tomatoes....often a can of canellini beans....dress and add cooked fusilli or penne until the bowl is full.

Yum!

And I decided against carrots btw, and used chunks of Persian cukes instead.

Yum! Love Persian cucumbers. :)

Another good one, if you want the pasta forward is a ... I don't know the word... Savory? Funky? "Mediterranean"? Orzo salad with diced-small red peppers, (olives if you're normal and not an olive hater like me), scallions, artichoke hearts, etc., and dressed with vinaigrette and feta crumbles while warm, so they marry well. It sort of has a whiff of deli ditalini salad but grown-up. :)

I like a simple macaroni - pea salad. Yours sounds great, however, P. Just made a couple of batches of kimchi, and that's a great summer 'salad'. my first batch was too spicy, so I rinsed it and turned it into coleslaw.

I also make a pasta salad that is pretty much just pickled pasta! Mastaciolli with a vinegar and sugar and oil dressing, with a few cukes and some chopped green onion and red peppers from a jar.

Keeps a long time and I love it.

"Please share any summer salads you particularly like."

Carol, one of my favorites is Panzanella. It's truly summer on a plate with great homegrown tomatoes, other fresh veggies, and homemade ciabatta croutons.

plllog mentioned orzo with veggies and Feta. So good! You might check Ina's recipe for Orzo With Roasted Vegetables. You can use whatever veggies suit you, and they don't have to be roasted. The dressing is tasty but makes more than you need.

My latest favorite is matchstick jicama, quartered radish slices, red onion, angel hair cabbage, lime juice, olive oil, s & p

Slaw like but great with a lot of things like tacos, grilled fish and chicken etc

Sounds good, provogal. It made me think of this black bean and corn salad that's another good one.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Dressing
1 small clove garlic
Pinch salt
Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.

For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.

This is one from Woodie . I serve it when feeding a large group at the cottage or pot lucks. It' s a great casual pasta that it always a big hit for a crowd.

Pasta Salad - Woodie

1 lb small shell macaroni,cooked and drained

1/2 lb provolone cheese,diced

1/2 lb salami,diced

1/2 lb pepperoni,cut in half lengthwise then slice into cubes ( I omit )

3 lb tomatoes,seeded and diced ( I use Romas)

3 ribs celery,diced

1 green or red pepper,diced

1 can black olives

1 jar pimento stuffed green olives

1 red onion,diced

DRESSING

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp basil

celery salt to taste

Mix dressing and pour over pasta, refrigerate until serving

I love orzo salad made with pine nuts, olive tapenade, feta, lemon juice, diced cucumber and diced bell peppers in three colors.

Sorry I am SO LATE to this party, but I will be making pasta salads all summer so hopefully it will still come in handy for some of you as well. I'm posting a recipe I got from Mom's old files. She was an inveterate recipe clipper. From time to time I take one out and make it in honor of her. This was fab and will be made again.

Lunch Box Tortellini Salad (serves 4)

One 9 oz. package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

2 TBLSP extra virgin olive oil

2 TBLSP fresh lemon juice (Hubs doesn't like lemon juice so I subbed balsamic white vinegar)

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme (I used dried, about 1/2 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. sugar

Coarsely ground black pepper

1.25 cups halved grape tomatoes

1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives (We didn't have these so I used green pimento stuffed ones)

3 oz. smoked deli-shaved turkey breast, torn into bite sized pieces. (This is what makes this salad a bit of a unique take. Very good, strong taste but not super fatty. I think this came from one of Mom's diabetes magazines)

3-4 thin slices red onion

2 oz. crumbled ricotta salata or feta cheese (I used goat cheese)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile made dressing and chop veggies. When pasta is drained, pour dressing over it and mix in veggies. Serve at room temp. or chilled. Note: I refreshed it a bit before serving with Kraft Zesty Italian dressing.

I don't think I have one.

When I eat pasta, I like it hot.

This is a fresh, no-cook sauce for when you have really good homegrown summer tomatoes. I pretty much serve it as a pasta salad. It needs to sit/meld before serving.

Fresh Summer Tomato Sauce

2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
4 T. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 T. chopped fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan, for garnish

Dice tomato pulp and combine with 1 T. of the olive oil. Add remaining ingredients, except Parmesan, and toss to blend. I f using same day, cover and let sit until serving time. If not using the same day, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temp before using. To serve, taste for seasoning and add remaining 3 T. olive oil. Toss with hot, warm or cold pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.