Vegetarian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb spiral or penne pasta
1/2 c uncooked red kidney beans* OR 15 oz can cooked beans - drain & rinse well
1/2 c uncooked garbanzo beans* OR 15 oz can cooked beans - drain & rinse well
*If you want to cook your own beans, see the directions below
2 celery stalks, trimmed & sliced thin on the diagonal
2 small carrots peeled and sliced thin on the diagonal
1 cup sliced green beans
1/2 red or green pepper, sliced in thin strips
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup pitted greek or regular olives
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, quartered (water pack)
Lacto-Veg Option: 1/4 - 1/2 c. diced feta cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried basil leaf OR 2 Tbslp fresh minced
1 tsp dried marjoram leaf OR 1 Tbsp fresh minced
1 tsp dried thyme leaf OR 1 Tbsp fresh minced
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp ground black pepper or to taste

This summer pasta salad recipe works best with durum wheat pasta. Whole wheat or spelt pasta is chewier and heavier.

Pasta Salad Directions:

Put 6 qts water on to boil, add pasta & salt, cook al dente, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside to cool
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large frying pan on medium-low
Prep the veggies
Add the garlic and ginger to the oil and sauté 5 minutes
Turn up the heat to med-high, add the carrot, celery, beans & pepper
Sauté another 5 minutes
Turn heat to low, cover and cook another two minutes
Add the veggies to the pasta
Drain and rinse the beans, then add to pasta
Add the parsley, olives, artichoke hearts, and dressing
Lacto-veg: Add crumbled feta cheese if desired at this point (I assure you it isn't necessary)
Mix well, adjust seasonings to taste, cover and chill for later, or devour immediately


Serving Size: Makes 10 Servings

Number of Servings: 10

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TOAOE2.