Pasta Salad Verde: Going Green

Pasta salads are so 1980's. They used to consist of cooked rotelle spiral macaroni, gross bottled Italian salad dressing, some canned black olives (should be illegal) and maybe cut up green pepper or something resembling a piece of deli meat.

No thank you.

Now that it's summer, I see so many nice looking "pasta salad" recipes on blogs, with healthy vinaigrettes and fresh produce added in. Boy how times have changed.

Here is my addition to the summer pasta salad recipe stockpile on the blogosphere.

Pasta Salad Verde.
Only green things are allowed to enter the bowl.
By green, I mean color, hence the name "verde".

You can use any herb or vegetable you like, as long as it is green.
My recipe, my rules. But you don't have to use spinach pasta!

Stacey's Pasta Salad Verde:

Basil Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of pine nuts
salt & pepper
1/3 cup of good olive oil

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until resembles paste, add in olive oil at end thru feed tube.

16oz. of farfalle pasta (bowties)

1 cup of green beans, trimmed and cut in half on the diagonal
1 bunch of asparagus, woody stems trimmed
1 cup of frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup of good olive oil
1/4 cup of white balsamic vinegar
1 cup of basil pesto

1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped (don't leave this out, really goes well with the peas and has a nice flavor)



Cook green beans and asparagus in the same pot, about 4-5 minutes.

Cut your asparagus spears on the diagonal, so they match the green beans.

Cook pasta as per directions in salted water and drain.

Add all ingredients, along with the defrosted peas to a large bowl.

You can pour your pesto and dressing ingredients over the pasta salad, you don't have to mix them in a separate bowl. Lastly, throw in your fresh herbs. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

This is best served room temperature and made a few hours before serving.
The refrigerator changes the texture & flavors of the dish, so if you are making it ahead, make sure you take it out of the fridge an hour before and adjust seasonings.

Makes enough for a crowd.



Enjoy!