SIMPLE VEGETARIAN SPRING PASTA SALAD
25 minutes start to finish
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 pound dried spiral pasta (or cavatappi, ziti, fusilli or other salad-friendly shaped pasta)
2 cups (8 ounces) halved sugar snap peas
2 cups (1-inch pieces) asparagus
2 cups baby or roughly chopped arugula
2 cups baby or roughly chopped spinach
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), finely diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or quarters if larger
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but 1 minute before the pasta is tender, add the sugar snap peas and the asparagus. Cook for 1 minute, then drain the pasta and the vegetables and rinse under cold water. Drain well.
Place the pasta, sugar snap peas and asparagus in a bowl with the arugula, spinach, peppers, tomatoes and scallions.
In a small bowl or container, combine the olive oil, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, shallots, basil, salt and pepper. Pour this dressing over the pasta salad and toss well to combine. Add the Parmesan and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Nutrition information per serving: 424 calories; 167 calories from fat; 19 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 4 mg cholesterol; 268 mg sodium; 53 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 11 g protein.