Italian Dressing Garden Pasta Salad

Italian Dressing Garden Pasta Salad

During these hot and humid days of summer my appetite is for salads.  The past month or so I've made several batches of potato salad.  I'm all potato salad out now so it is time for pasta salad.  I just made this recipe this afternoon (with my own variations of course) and I'm telling you...THIS IS GOOD!

I'm sharing.  Here is the recipe (with my changes):

ITALIAN DRESSING GARDEN PASTA SALAD

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. fresh basil, finely minced (right out of my garden!)
1/2 tsp. fresh oregano,finely minced (again, right out of my garden)
2 tsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional - I optioned because I like a "bite")

FOR THE SALAD

8 oz (1/2 lb), pasta, cooked (I used the spiral garden vegetable tricolor rotini)
3 cups assorted vegetables (I used a minced red and green pepper and black olives and cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 peeled and chopped cucumber

Using a food processor or blender mix the salad dressing (there is no need to mince the garlic and herbs)

Cook the pasta according to package directions  Using colorful pasta and vegetables makes for an especially attractive salad.  Thats why I use multicolored rotini pasta.

Cook the pasta 9 to 11 minutes in boiling water.  Remove and drain and cool.

Add the vegetables to the pasta salad and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings.  More salt, pepper, herbs and cheese may be added or a little lemon zest of juice, or even a pinch of granulated garlic.

Refrigerate pasta at last two hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Garden salad ready for the refrigerator to be enjoyed at a later date

A Salad a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

A few years ago I ran into an old classmate of mine from high school. We were both in the vegetable section of Wegmans supermarket. He was shopping for salad ingredients for his new health diet to combat heart disease. While I've never been one for salads I thought I would give it a try too. When I grew up Mom didn't make salads for our dinner table. We usually had overcooked green string beans or corn on the cob. That was about it. The only salads I had were when I dined out and that was a hit or miss experience. Once in a great while I got a salad I liked. Not very often though.

So I took my friend's advice and got some salad ingredients for myself. Well, I have to say I am now hooked. I liked my salads the best. I have basically two types of salads. Either a Caesar Salad of Romaine lettuce, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a Caesar Vinaigrette salad dressing. I can't take the heavy fat laden salad dressings. I sprinkle Caesar croutons on top of the salad. My other favorite salad is "Ron's Salad." This salad consists of torn Romaine lettuce leaves, cucumber, sliced white or red onion, and those little round red tomatoes (not cherry or plum but the "other" ones) that are so expensive (but so worth it.) I sprinkle a little salad seasoning on it and Italian croutons. I use a sun dried red tomato Italian vinaigrette dressing on this salad. These salads hit the spot with me. I know they're right because my stomach welcomes them. With other salads, especially ones made with iceberg lettuce, I feel like I ate nothing but salad dressing.

I used to buy prepackaged Romaine salads but I now find it more economical to but one of those three packs of Romaine lettuce and prepare my own greens. I occasionally like to buy the Spring Mix and have it with a Raspberry Walnut vinaigrette. I don't like salad dressings with the heavy calories. I feel it takes away from the taste of the fresh greens and tomatoes. Salad dressing should be accompany, not dominate a salad.

I have been remiss in my blog postings. I try to make a daily blog posting but there is just so much going on in this retiree's life, sometimes I just don't have the time. One thing I always have time for though is a good salad and I make a damn good salad!