This a a tasty dish you can serve as a main or a side. It also works for anyone with allergies to gluten or dairy. It can be eaten warm as soon as it's ready or cold as a chilled pasta salad. It's so tasty and well put together, it will satisfy even your toughest critics. We even enjoy the leftovers a couple of days later.
Dressing:
- 3 cloves of garlic (pressed) or teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/8 cup of olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- ½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Pepper to taste
Vegetable and Pasta Mix:
- 6 ounces of fusilli or spiral pasta (option: sub gluten free pasta)
- 1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)
- ¼ cup of chopped walnuts or whole pine nuts
- 1/8 cup of fresh basil chopped or 1 tablespoon of dried basil
- 1 broccoli stem (florets and stem chopped into ½ inch pieces)
- 2 carrots (peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 small or ½ large zucchini (cut in half long way, then sliced thin)
- 1 small jar of artichoke hearts (cut into quarters)
Directions:
Clean and cut broccoli and carrots. Put them in a steamer and cook. You want them done but not mushy. Still firm is ideal. To see a video on prepping the entire broccoli head, stem and all, click HERE.
Cook pasta according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking, mix dressing in large bowl. (large enough to add pasta and vegetables to later).
Drain artichokes and cut into quarters. Set aside. Cut zucchini once long ways, then into thin slices. The zucchini will remain uncooked. Chop walnuts or toast pine nuts (whichever you decide to use). Using dry fry pan, toast pine nuts over low-medium heat shaking often until lightly brown.
To make the dressing, In your bowl, mix oil, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cut tomatoes into quarters and put in bowl. Mix. Mince basil and add to bowl. Mix.
When pasta is done, drain and put back in pot. Add zucchini to pasta and mix. The short time with the pasta, while it cools, will slightly soften the raw zucchini. When broccoli and carrots are done, let them sit for five minutes to cool. Then add them to the dressing mixture. Also add the artichokes and the nuts. Stir.
Add the pasta and zucchini to mixture and stir.
Serve and Enjoy!
(This recipe can also be doubled to make a larger batch)
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