Pesto pasta salad
Oct. 20th, 2010 10:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarah in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
omnomnomI made a large batch of this over the weekend, and it's so simple -- and great for work lunches -- that I wanted to share. Vegetarian and only four or five ingredients:
What you need:
* pasta (I typically use farfalle or tri-color rotini)
* jar of pesto (6-8oz/175-225g for a whole box of pasta)
* red bell peppers (two for a whole box of pasta)
* fresh mozzarella (two of the fist-sized chunks for a whole box of pasta)
* pine nuts (optional)
How it's done:
Cook your pasta until nicely al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water.
While the water's coming to a boil and the pasta's cooking, dice up your red peppers and the mozzarella. If you're adding the pine nuts, warm a small, dry pan over medium heat and toast them until they're a nice, even tan color, shaking the pan frequently to turn them and prevent burning.
Mix everything together in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes:
This can easily be made ahead of time, but if you're refrigerating it overnight you may want to reserve a bit of pesto to mix in the next day. The pasta will try to absorb all the oil overnight.
Should you be in the mood for meat, cooked chicken strips are a great addition.
What you need:
* pasta (I typically use farfalle or tri-color rotini)
* jar of pesto (6-8oz/175-225g for a whole box of pasta)
* red bell peppers (two for a whole box of pasta)
* fresh mozzarella (two of the fist-sized chunks for a whole box of pasta)
* pine nuts (optional)
How it's done:
Cook your pasta until nicely al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water.
While the water's coming to a boil and the pasta's cooking, dice up your red peppers and the mozzarella. If you're adding the pine nuts, warm a small, dry pan over medium heat and toast them until they're a nice, even tan color, shaking the pan frequently to turn them and prevent burning.
Mix everything together in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes:
This can easily be made ahead of time, but if you're refrigerating it overnight you may want to reserve a bit of pesto to mix in the next day. The pasta will try to absorb all the oil overnight.
Should you be in the mood for meat, cooked chicken strips are a great addition.
no subject
on 2010-10-21 03:46 pm (UTC)i'm a sucker for colorful food!