This whole wheat pasta salad is one of our easy culinary recipes, and it has a rich mix of flavors. It has a tang that brings wonderful body to chicken, fish and steak dishes. You can even serve it as a side dish or as a light lunch with crusty bread.
How To Make Spinach Pasta Salad with Lemon Balsamic Dressing
Our earthy spinach pasta recipe serves a filling meal made of whole wheat penne pasta, spinach leaves, and mouthwatering mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 bag spinach leaves, washed and drained
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 medium seedless cucumber, lightly peeled & diced
- 6 oz Ciliegine Mozzarella, drained and cut in half
- 10 oz sweet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 12 oz roasted red peppers , in oil, chopped drained and reserve oil
Dressing:
- 1 bulb garlic , roasted and cooled
- ¼ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
- 2 lemon juice, fresh
- ⅔ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh ground sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground cracked pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup roasted red pepper oil
Instructions
- Wash spinach and set aside to drain well (tear apart large leaves and remove thick stems).
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Roast 1 bulb of garlic in a 400 degrees F oven.
- Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact.
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Using a knife, cut off ¼ to a ½ inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
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Place the bulb cut side up on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, drizzle with about 2 tbsp of olive oil making sure to cover each clove and then bring the sides of the foil up and seal all around.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until cloves are soft and caramel colored.
- Let cool until you can touch it with your hand and squeeze out each clove into a cup or dish…let cool while you make the salad.
- Make pasta according to box, cook to “al dente” about 12 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to completely cool the pasta and stop the cooking process.
- Turn out into a large bowl, add cucumber, tomatoes, onions, shredded carrots and roasted red peppers, add the spinach and the fresh mozzarella and toss lightly.
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Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a blender except the two oils, combine the two oils together and then slowly drizzle in the oil mixture while the blender is running and blend completely.
- Pour dressing over pasta salad and toss well to coat.
- Chill overnight to serve the next day this will allow the flavors to blend and will slightly wilt the spinach.
- Serve along side grilled chicken, fish or as a light lunch with fresh crusty bread.
Nutrition
- Sugar: 12g
- :
- Calcium: 187mg
- Calories: 452kcal
- Carbohydrates: 53g
- Cholesterol: 17mg
- Fat: 20g
- Fiber: 7g
- Iron: 2mg
- Potassium: 525mg
- Protein: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Sodium: 1125mg
- Vitamin A: 6699IU
- Vitamin C: 52mg
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