Summer Pasta Salad with French Dressing
Recipe: Summer Pasta Salad
From: Cook’s Illustrated, July/August 1998, with variations
Serves: 6-8
2-3 bell peppers
4-6 small or medium zucchini
2 large ripe tomatoes
1/2 c. pickled green beans (optional)
2 cooked chicken breasts (optional, see note)
1 lb. bite-size pasta such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle
ca. 1 c. French dressing made with lemon juice (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. minced parsley (optional)
Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Grill peppers (whole) and zucchini until tender, and let cool. Peel, core, and seed peppers and cut into 1/2 - 3/4" dice. Cut zucchini into 1/2 - 3/4" pieces. Chop tomatoes into large dice. Cut green beans into 1/2" lengths. Cut up chicken into small bite-size pieces.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente and drain. Place hot pasta, vegetables, parsley, and chicken in large mixing bowl. Whisk or shake dressing to blend and pour over, tossing to mix thoroughly. Cool to room temp. and adjust seasonings. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes:
This is a very variable recipe; you basically want about 7-8 cups of vegetables and/or chicken to 1 lb. pasta and 1 c. dressing. I like this particular combination; with chicken it’s a whole meal by itself, with maybe fruit salad for dessert, perfect in hot weather.
Other vegetables that could be used are asparagus, eggplant, fennel, onions (all grilled) or broccoli or cauliflower (blanched until crisp-tender). Instead of pickled beans (my sister makes these, so I sometimes have them around) you could use 1/4 c. capers, or about 20 good brine-cured olives, pitted and chopped, or 1/2 c. oil-packed sundried tomatoes, chopped. Vary the parsley to basil, or chives, or whatever herb sounds good with your vegetables of choice. Instead of chicken, a package of extra-firm tofu, cubed and sauteed till golden, would be a possible protein addition. Could add 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes if you want to jazz it up a bit, too.
Recipe: French Dressing
From: The California Heritage Cookbook
Makes: about 1 cup
1/2 c. salad oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice or wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. + freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 - 1 tsp. sugar
Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute with a wire whisk. Pour into bottle and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Shake well before using.
Notes:
This is a fairly standard French dressing; I reduced the acid and increased the mustard and sugar slightly from the original, to suit our tastes. It's very good as a pasta salad dressing, but of course is also good on green salads.
From: Cook’s Illustrated, July/August 1998, with variations
Serves: 6-8
2-3 bell peppers
4-6 small or medium zucchini
2 large ripe tomatoes
1/2 c. pickled green beans (optional)
2 cooked chicken breasts (optional, see note)
1 lb. bite-size pasta such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle
ca. 1 c. French dressing made with lemon juice (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. minced parsley (optional)
Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Grill peppers (whole) and zucchini until tender, and let cool. Peel, core, and seed peppers and cut into 1/2 - 3/4" dice. Cut zucchini into 1/2 - 3/4" pieces. Chop tomatoes into large dice. Cut green beans into 1/2" lengths. Cut up chicken into small bite-size pieces.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente and drain. Place hot pasta, vegetables, parsley, and chicken in large mixing bowl. Whisk or shake dressing to blend and pour over, tossing to mix thoroughly. Cool to room temp. and adjust seasonings. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes:
This is a very variable recipe; you basically want about 7-8 cups of vegetables and/or chicken to 1 lb. pasta and 1 c. dressing. I like this particular combination; with chicken it’s a whole meal by itself, with maybe fruit salad for dessert, perfect in hot weather.
Other vegetables that could be used are asparagus, eggplant, fennel, onions (all grilled) or broccoli or cauliflower (blanched until crisp-tender). Instead of pickled beans (my sister makes these, so I sometimes have them around) you could use 1/4 c. capers, or about 20 good brine-cured olives, pitted and chopped, or 1/2 c. oil-packed sundried tomatoes, chopped. Vary the parsley to basil, or chives, or whatever herb sounds good with your vegetables of choice. Instead of chicken, a package of extra-firm tofu, cubed and sauteed till golden, would be a possible protein addition. Could add 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes if you want to jazz it up a bit, too.
Recipe: French Dressing
From: The California Heritage Cookbook
Makes: about 1 cup
1/2 c. salad oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice or wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. + freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 - 1 tsp. sugar
Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute with a wire whisk. Pour into bottle and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Shake well before using.
Notes:
This is a fairly standard French dressing; I reduced the acid and increased the mustard and sugar slightly from the original, to suit our tastes. It's very good as a pasta salad dressing, but of course is also good on green salads.