A to Z Pasta Salad (vegan)

A to Z Pasta Salad

Susan D'Andrea

Ingredients

·       1 clove garlic, slightly crushed

·       1 pound penne or spiral pasta

·       1 cup asparagus or green beans, cut in 1" pieces 

·       2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices

·       1 red, yellow, or green pepper, chopped

·       8 ounces grape tomatoes

·       2 tsp. each:  basil, oregano, and parsley

·       your favorite fat-free or light Italian salad dressing, to taste

·       salt and fresh pepper, to taste

·       optional: sliced black olives, added just before serving

Instructions

1.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Add a small amount of salt, if you want.) Once it boils, drop the asparagus or green beans and zucchini pieces into it and blanch for exactly 1 1/2 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon into a bowl filled with cold ice water.

Use the same pot of boiling water to cook the pasta according to package directions. Once it reaches the 
al dente stage, drain it in a colander and rinse it with cold water. Drain it well and add it to the vegetables. Add the chopped pepper, tomatoes, and herbs and toss with enough salad dressing to coat but not drown the pasta. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste, and serve chilled or warm.   

8 servings

Use any fresh vegetables you like:  broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, yellow squash, mushrooms, and artichokes. Try to use only fresh herbs, if you can get them, and use a salad dressing that you know you like.  The one unbreakable rule is to use only fresh vegetables and blanch them to soften slightly.