Pasta And Veggie Salad

Pasta salad is always better when made ahead. The idea for tossing the just-cooked pasta with olive oil and garlic came from one of Julia Child's cookbooks some time ago. If you do this when the pasta is hot, it absorbs the garlic flavor -- and makes for a better-tasting pasta salad. Vary the vegetables, using peas, green beans or red or pink kidney beans in place of chickpeas.

Courses: Salads, Vegetarian
Serves: 12 people

Recipe Ingredients

1 lb	454g / 16oz	Dried pasta
		= (such as farfalle, rotini,
		Twists or shells)
1/4 cup	59ml	Olive oil - plus
1 tablespoon	15ml	Olive oil with minced garlic
1		Carrot - halved lengthwise,
		And sliced thin crosswise
2		Corn cut from cob
		= (or abt 1 cup frozen corn)
1/2		Green, red or yellow bell pepper - diced
1/3 cup	20g / 0.7oz	Minced onion - (to 1/2)
1		Tomato - chopped
1 1/3 cups	315ml	Chickpeas - (to 2) - drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons	30ml	Fresh snipped chives
1 teaspoon	5ml	Salt
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
1 tablespoon	15ml	Balsamic vinegar - (to 1 1/2)
1 tablespoon	15ml	Water - (to 1 1/2)
1 tablespoon	15ml	Garlic clove - minced (large)
2 teaspoons	10ml	Dried basil leaves - crumbled
		= (or 2 to 3 tbspns chopped fresh basil)

Recipe Instructions

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon oil mixed with garlic.

In bowl, combine carrot, corn, pepper, onion, tomato, chickpeas and chives. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss well. Add pasta and toss to combine.

To make vinaigrette, mix remaining oil, vinegar, water, garlic and basil in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and blend well. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss well. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

This recipe yields 8 to 12 servings.

Per Serving: 230 Cal; 7g Prot; 7g Total Fat (1 Sat. Fat); 37g Carb.; 0mg Chol; 280mg Sod.; 3g Fiber.

Source:
Vegetarian Times, September 2002

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