Mixed Vegetable Salad with Pasta

I love finding recipes that allow me to make a big bowl of salad, soup, chili, pasta, just about anything that lends itself to being eaten over the course of several days. As I find myself cleaning out the cupboards as I adjust to being at home more, I have dusted off some idle recipes that I wanted to share with you.

What recipes would like me to share? Do you have any recipes you would like to offer? We are all in this together; we might as well eat, drink and be merry.

Ingredients:

8 oz Cooked ditalini pasta, cold

6 oz Cooked chickpeas or other dried beans, cold

6 oz Zucchini, medium dice, raw or blanched

16 oz Green beans, cooked, cut into .5-in. (1-cm) lengths

4 oz Red onions, diced

3 oz Small pitted black olives

3 oz Celery, diced

2 oz Green bell pepper, diced

2 oz Red bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp Capers, drained

1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

4 oz Italian dressing

Lettuce leaves for underliners

Tomato wedges or cherry tomatoes

Procedure:

1. Combine the pasta, beans, vegetables, and cheese in a large bowl. Toss to mix.

2. No more than 1-2 hours before service, add the dressing and toss.

3. Arrange the lettuce leaves on cold salad plates.

4. Just before service, place a 4-oz portion of the salad on each lettuce leaf.

5. Garnish each salad with a tomato.

Portion Size: 4 oz

Variations: Add diced or sliced salami, pepperoni, or mozzarella cheese to the salad mixture. You can also throw diced apples, sliced berries, nuts, sprouts and any other vegetables you might have hiding in the fridge, into your salad. Get creative and go nuts!!!