Best Alexs Simple Whole Wheat Pasta Salad Recipes

WHOLE WHEAT ROTINI PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot with lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook rotini at a boil until the pasta is cooked yet slightly firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
• Rinse the pasta with cold water until completely chilled; drain completely.
• While the pasta cooks, whisk the apple cider vinegar and olive oil together in a large bowl until blended. Stir feta cheese, basil, salt, and black pepper into the vinaigrette.
• Fold the asparagus, tomatoes, carrots, green onions, and garlic into the vinaigrette to coat evenly.
• Stir the cooled pasta into the vegetable mixture; toss until evenly mixed.

ALEX'S SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Place the pepper directly over a gas flame to char and cook, turning, about 3 minutes per side. Place the pepper in a bowl and let sit, uncovered, until cool enough to handle.
• Place the pepper on a cutting board. Remove the seeds and core and open the pepper up so it lies flat on the cutting board, charred skin-side up. Use a kitchen towel to wipe the charred skin away. Sprinkle the pepper with the sugar, then chop the pepper into 1/4-inch dice. Place the diced peppers back in the bowl and drizzle with the vinegar. Set aside.
• Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add a generous amount of salt. (It should taste like seawater.) Cook the pasta, stirring from time to time, until "al dente" (chewy but not hard or raw tasting), 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and toss with the pesto. If the pesto is too thick, add some pasta water to thin it out. Place half of the pasta in a serving bowl, then top with half of the Parmesan and half of the roasted peppers. Top with the remaining pasta, Parmesan and roasted peppers. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
• Pulse the basil with the garlic, sugar and salt in a food processor. Slowly stream in 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup water through the top of the machine, pulsing until almost completely smooth. Taste for seasoning. Add more oil if too chunky or dry. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan.

WHOLE-WHEAT PASTA SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water, and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
• In a dry saute pan toast the walnuts over a medium-high flame until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set the walnuts aside to cool then chop them coarsely.
• In a large bowl, toss together the chilled pasta, walnuts, feta cheese, onion, and spinach. In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic and mustard. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

WHOLE WHEAT ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain orzo; rinse with cold water., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stir in orzo. Refrigerate until serving.

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA SALAD WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.
• 2. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and stir well. Pour over the salad and toss.
• 3. Enjoy!

AVOCADO WHOLE WHEAT PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes; drain and run under cold water to prevent sticking.
• Whisk olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and honey together in a bowl until dressing is smooth.
• Mix pasta, avocados, green bell pepper, carrot, green onions, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, and cilantro together in a bowl. Drizzle dressing over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper to pasta salad. Serve at room temperature.