By Kathypatalsky
One of my favorite recipes to makes on a Sunday evening is this Lemon Veggie Pasta Salad. I make a big bowl of this stuff on Sunday night, store it in a stack of smaller Tupperware containers and then I have easy grab-n-go pasta salad to enjoy all through the week. Or at least until it runs out. And throughout the week I find myself craving each fluffy, curly bite of lemon-herb infused pasta.
Since this pasta is delicious hot or cold, I can use it for a variety of situations. Easy lunchbox add-in, go-to work lunch or even as a supplement to a quickie dinner on a tired night. And the other perk to this salad is that the ingredients are incredibly flexible. Tons of varied veggies means that I can toss in whatever I have crowding my veggie drawers in my fridge. And this also means I will never get bored with this recipe. I can change up the accent ingredients to suit my mood.
I like to accent this pasta salad with lots of light lemon juice, olive oil and spices. Dried spices (like MrsDash) are perfect for pasta salad because they absorb any of the extra liquid and keep the pasta fresh and flavorful. I also like to fold in a few fresh herbs because they simply smell and taste amazing. Parsley, dill, cilantro, sweet basil and more.
Protein booster. Sometimes I will fold in beans or peas because they have a nice amount of protein and fiber. You could also boost the protein in this dish by folding in marinated, grilled or sauteed tofu. I tossed in some leftover tofu scramble once and it was great.
Read More Recipe:
Quickie Lemon Cajun Spiced Pasta
Pappardelle and Veggie Ribbons
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad
1 bag curly pasts (I like rainbow veggie)
Ingredients
Seasoning Blend:
- 1/3 cup lemon juice *see subs
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon herb seasoning blend (like a MrsDash)
- 2 tsp garlic granules or garlic paste
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 thin lemon slices
- 2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
- dash of cayenne
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- salt/pepper to taste
Add-in Veggies (flexible!)
- 3/4 cup roasted red peppers
- 1/4 black olives
- 2 cups shredded spinach
- 1 small sweet onion, sliced
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced
*in place of lemon juice you could also try apple cider vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar or even orange juice
To Make:
1. Boil and drain pasta. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add in all the seasoning ingredients. Toss well.
3. Next, add in the spinach, cabbage and any other hefty green you may be adding in. Since the pasta is still quite warm it will wilt the greens nicely.
4. Lastly, add in the remaining veggie ingredients. Toss well.
5. Separate pasta into lunch, serving size containers. Store in the fridge. Enjoy warmed or chilled!
Food , Recipes
