Pasta Salad
Yield: 8-12 servings
Cook Time: 7-12 minutes
Tips: Fresh chopped tomatoes can be used in place of sun-dried tomatoes, if desired.
Suggestion: Delicious served as a side dish or a light main course, or as a quick and refreshing cold snack.
This Pasta Salad recipe is refreshing, delicious and very colorful, and features a
wonderful combination of ingredients. Rotini pasta (spiral-shaped noodles) with broccoli florets and sliced carrots (blanched to tender-crisp), marinated artichoke hearts, baby corn, garbanzo beans, carrots, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and green and kalmata olives are tossed together, creating a vibrantly colorful salad with major eye appeal! These salad ingredients are then tossed with a light and slightly tart homemade Italian dressing and grated Parmesan cheese, giving these ingredients the perfect flavor boost as well as a beautiful glisten. Pasta Salad can be served as a side dish or a light main (vegetarian) dish, and is great for picnics, barbeques, social gatherings or any time! This salad (as well as any leftover Italian salad dressing) can be stored in the refrigerator for days.
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Salad
- 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) rotini pasta noodles
- 2 cups broccoli flowerets
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts (leaves trimmed off)
- 1/2 cup chopped marinated baby corn
- 1/2 cup garbanzo beans
- 1/2 cup whole pitted black kalmata (Greek) olives
- 1/2 cup pimento-filled green olives
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup chunks feta cheese
- 1 1/4 cups (or more if needed) Italian Dressing (recipe follows)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- peperocinis or sweet peppers for garnishing (optional)
Directions
Dressing
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Salad
Have a large bowl of ice water ready near the stove. In a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil about 1 inch of water. Once water is at a full boil, place sliced carrots in a vegetable steamer and cook for 2 minutes. Quickly add broccoli flowerets and cook with carrots for an additional for 2-3 minutes or until carrots and broccoli are crisp-tender to the bite (check frequently so you don't cook too long - you still want them to be somewhat crunchy). Once carrots and broccoli are crisp-tender, quickly remove them from the heat and pour them (without the boiling water) into the ice water. Stir briefly until fully cooled, then transfer to a colander and allow to drain completely (pat dry with a paper towel if necessary). Set aside.
While carrots and broccoli are draining, prepare the remaining ingredients. Cut leaves off of artichoke hearts, then cut into bite-size pieces. Cut baby corn diagonally into 3 pieces each. To a large mixing bowl, add the carrots and broccoli, artichoke hearts, baby corn, garbanzo beans, green and Kalamata olives and feta cheese (you will add the Parmesan cheese later). Stir to thoroughly blend. Set aside.
Pour 1 cup of Salad Dressing over salad ingredients and toss to thoroughly combine. Slowly add more dressing as needed (tasting as you go) until you reach desired consistency. Add the Parmesan cheese and gently toss again to combine. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Garnish with sweet peppers, peperocinis or salad peppers if desired. Store any left-over Salad Dressing in refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and shake (to liquefy oils) just before using. You may add a little additional Salad Dressing to the Pasta Salad if it appears slightly dried after sitting in refrigerator (the salad ingredients can tend to soak up the dressing). Dressing can also be used with leafy green and other pasta salads, or for coating fish and chicken before broiling.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Salad
Have a large bowl of ice water ready near the stove. In a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil about 1 inch of water. Once water is at a full boil, place sliced carrots in a vegetable steamer and cook for 2 minutes. Quickly add broccoli flowerets and cook with carrots for an additional for 2-3 minutes or until carrots and broccoli are crisp-tender to the bite (check frequently so you don't cook too long - you still want them to be somewhat crunchy). Once carrots and broccoli are crisp-tender, quickly remove them from the heat and pour them (without the boiling water) into the ice water. Stir briefly until fully cooled, then transfer to a colander and allow to drain completely (pat dry with a paper towel if necessary). Set aside.
While carrots and broccoli are draining, prepare the remaining ingredients. Cut leaves off of artichoke hearts, then cut into bite-size pieces. Cut baby corn diagonally into 3 pieces each. To a large mixing bowl, add the carrots and broccoli, artichoke hearts, baby corn, garbanzo beans, green and Kalamata olives and feta cheese (you will add the Parmesan cheese later). Stir to thoroughly blend. Set aside.
Pour 1 cup of Salad Dressing over salad ingredients and toss to thoroughly combine. Slowly add more dressing as needed (tasting as you go) until you reach desired consistency. Add the Parmesan cheese and gently toss again to combine. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Garnish with sweet peppers, peperocinis or salad peppers if desired. Store any left-over Salad Dressing in refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and shake (to liquefy oils) just before using. You may add a little additional Salad Dressing to the Pasta Salad if it appears slightly dried after sitting in refrigerator (the salad ingredients can tend to soak up the dressing). Dressing can also be used with leafy green and other pasta salads, or for coating fish and chicken before broiling.
