I love making pasta salad in the summer. It makes a good lunch or side dish. I usually make a large bowl- so cut this down if only serving a few people!
Cook 2 boxes of rainbow pasta according to the box directions, drain, run cool water over pasta and chill. Steam a head of brocolli cut into florets. I use the microwave and add a couple of sliced carrots at the same time so they soften. Cook some cut green beans until they are crisp. Keeping everything a little crispy adds a lot to this salad.
To the cooked pasta, add the drained brocolli, a can of garbanzo beans, a can of kidney beans, a diced red onion, a half cup of sliced green onions, a can of black olives, drained and sliced, the brocolli, green beans and carrots. You can use a bottle of good italian dressing- Paul Newmans is wonderful ( or make your own in a quart jar with 2/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Italian seasonings and 1 tsp. minced garlic, salt and pepper- shake! )
Chill all and serve. If the noodles were chilled when you mix this up you can serve immediately.
- 2 boxes rainbow pasta (one pound each)
- canned kidney beans
- one pound brocolli
- canned garbanzo beans
- frozen or fresh green beans
- 2 carrots
- 1 red onion
- 6 green onions
- 1 can black olives
- 1 bottle italian dressing or make your own (above)