I’d been craving pasta salad all winter long. Typically, I make a veganized version of the classic macaroni salad. But, as it still being pre-barbeque season, I decided to whip up something new!
I’d had the idea for a bruschetta pasta salad for a while. I’d also been wanting to make a pasta over a bed of greens. When the idea donned on me to combine that garlicky tomato carbfest with the traditional balsamic spinach salad, I wasn’t sure how it would work.
But it was amazing. Probably one of the freshest and appealing meals I’ve ever concocted. Because it is still a pasta salad, it’s super easy and quick to prepare. It would be a great dish to bring to a potluck or barbecue, and will definitely work sans spinach if you aren’t in charge of the plating.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4-5 plum tomatoes washed and diced.
- 1/4 cup olive oil.
- 2-3 cloves garlic.
- 1tsp dried basil
- 1/4tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp parsley flakes.
- 1 Box(3-4cups uncooked) of tricolor vegetable rotini noodles
- 1 cup spinach per person, washed and patted dry.
- Balsamic vinegar
- optional: vegan parmesean.
- Pepper and salt
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and dried spices. Mince garlic and combine. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and refridgerate.
2. Cook noodles to desired softeness, strain the water out , toss in 1tsp of olive oil and cover with a towel. Allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.
3. Combine noodles with bruschetta mixture, stirring well. Cover and let sit 1 hour.
4. Serve cold on a bed of spinach. Drizzle balsamic vinegar (or dressing if you don’t enjoy it full strength). Optionally sprinkle with vegan Parmesan.
