Monday, June 17, 2013

Summer dish: Tri-Color Italian Pasta Salad

So school is coming to an end, and I am absolutely running out of lunch ideas!  I am so sick of sandwiches and salads, so I've been getting into making pasta salads for the week- easy and delicious! After a shopping spree at Trader Joe's, I came up with this recipe.  I used their organic vegetable radiatore pasta for some extra vitamins and fiber.  And the key is to make your own dressing over using bottled Italian dressing- avoid those preservatives and artificial flavors!  


Tri-Color Italian Pasta Salad


Ingredients:

1 package Trader Joe's Organic Vegetable Radiatore Pasta
1 3-oz. package sun-dried tomatoes (I used TJ's)
1 3.8-oz. can of Lindsay Naturals black sliced olives (any olives will do-just check the labels for preservatives)
1 medium green pepper, chopped (any color will do!)
About 1/2 container of TJ's fresh mozzarella balls (Ciliegine), halved

Dressing- to taste (I don't really measure well, experiment a little bit at a time and see what you like! )

A few tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white or red vinegar
Adobo seasoning
Dried oregano
Italian seasoning

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package- leave a little undercooked to keep it from getting mushy.  Drain and cool.  In the meantime, chop the green pepper and halve the mozzarella balls.  When the pasta is cool, add oil, vinegar and seasonings.  Gently mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Refrigerate and enjoy for lunch or a side dish! 

Other possible add-ins:

Grilled chicken or shrimp
Zucchini or yellow squash (lasts better than cucumber in a pasta salad) 
Red onion
Grape tomatoes
Chick peas
Fresh spinach

Be creative!  Have any other add-in ideas?  Comment below:  




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