Pasta salads come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties. Finding a recipe that’s high in vegetables, extra tasty, and dietary-restriction-friendly can be tricky – that’s why we took the tricky out and found the perfect pasta salad mix for you! This broccoli-specialty recipe is perfect for any occasion: summer barbeques, fall potlucks, last-minute winter parties, or any spring fling! With only 30 minutes needed to prep, a serving size of 6+ people, and a storage time of over 2 days, this pasta salad is a perfect addition to your recipe collection.
Pasta Salad: Broccoli Specialty
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of small broccoli florets
- 1 cup of cut green beans
- 2 cups of uncooked fusilli pasta*
- 1 small size zucchini, thinly sliced & cut
- 1 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes
- 4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup of pine nuts (optional)
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Tahini dressing*
*vegan & gluten free solutions available
Step 1
Prepare two pots for the vegetables: one with salted boiling water, and one with ice water. Put the broccoli and green beans in the boiling water and leave for 1-2 minutes. When the vegetables are bright green and tender, remove them from the boiling water and immediately place them in the ice water (this is known as ‘blanching’). Leave the vegetables in the ice water for 15-20 seconds. Next, drain the ice water and place the vegetables on a towel or tray to dry.
Step 2
In a separate pot of salted boiling water, cook the fusilli pasta by following the instructions on the packaging. Once they are cooked to your liking, drain and rinse with cold water.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, basil leaves, and pasta. Drizzle as much or as little tahini dressing as you’d like on top and toss (don’t stir!) the mix. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add the pine nuts and chill the bowl for 15 minutes – then it’s ready to serve! It can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days after prep.
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