I wish I had a really great story for this dish, a funny anecdote, a meaningful symbolism….but really I was just hungry. As summer comes to a close, it’s only fair to give pasta salad a good sendoff before it’s traded for baked ziti and macaroni and cheese. This version has two varieties of fun shaped noodles, colorful, fresh vegetables, tangy sundried tomatoes and a bright lemony olive oil dressing. The recipe is completely vegan, but you can certainly add shredded parmesan or crumbled feta if you so desire.
Full of texture and crunch, this savory dish serves as an excellent side to your Labor Day burgers and dogs, or a perfect complement to warm chicken and salmon right off the grill.
Ingredients:
1 box bowtie pasta with tomatoes and carrots
1 box spiral pasta (I used cellentani)
1 bag mini tri-colored peppers
1 head of broccoli
2 cups shredded carrots
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
About 1 cup julienne sundried tomatoes in oil
The juice of 4 lemons
2/3 cup good olive oil
A few tablespoons olive oil from sundried tomatoes
Garlic salt to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Prepare pasta according to directions.
Cut broccoli and peppers into bite sized pieces.
Drain sundried tomatoes, saving the olive oil for the dressing.
Whisk together olive oil, sundried tomato oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Mix pasta with broccoli, peppers, carrots, sundried tomatoes and olives.
Toss with dressing and serve cold. Eat and enjoy while wearing white pants for the last time!
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