So. Yeh.
It’s a holidaze weekend.
A kickoff to summer.
Usually, folk are traveling somewhere to meet other folk and grill, eat, drink, chat, runaround like crazy people, all that stuff.
We won’t be, but if you are, and if, say, you’ve been asked to bring the salad, well, have I got a tip for you!
Heck, even if you aren’t traveling, this makes for a pretty impressive salad, and, 97% of it is done a day or two before you plan on serving it, so, bonus!
INGREDIENTS
Base:
•Pasta (your choice, but I like ditalini)
•Red onion, sliced thin
•Red pepper, sliced thin*
•English cucumber, quartered and sliced
•Blanched Asparagus
•Kalamata olives, halved
•Peperoncini, drained and sliced
•Feta cheese
Dressing:
•Your choice
Salad:
•Greens of your choice, washed, dried, and stashed in a gallon-sized zipper bag(s)
*I used Peruvian Pearl peppers.
Boil the pasta in salted water according to instructions on the box, then drain and rinse (pasta for salads should always be rinsed).
Transfer the pasta to a bowl, pour your dressing of choice over, then stir to combine.
Note: I used a vinaigrette here, but if you have a creamy pasta salad dressing recipe you especially like, go ahead and use that – but! – double the amount of dressing called for in the recipe, and stir half of it into the cooked, rinsed, and drained pasta.
Cover ands stash in the fridge for at least a few hours, but overnight would be better.
Why?
Because the pasta is gonna soak up most of that dressing – and flavor! – even before you add your veggies.
Once the pasta has soaked up the dressing, go ahead and add the rest of your veggies and cheese, then give it all a good toss.
Cover the bowl and return to the fridge until it is time to serve – or to hit the road.
Once you arrive at your destination – or it is time for dinner – pull your bowl of pasta goodness out of the fridge or ice chest along with your bag(s) of salad greens.
Add them all to a large bowl, then toss to combine well. Tasty pasta and veggies and nicely crispity greens. Serve with whatever dressing(s) you like on the side.
Lemonade Chicken works a treat as a side.