Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Spinach, Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Salad



From the Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals, page 123. I found my copy at Costco for $14.99
All the recipes are 5 ingredient, 15 minutes!
This one is a perfectly yummy combination for hot summer days. Great Italian vinaigrette recipe, too. While fresh herbs would be best, I made do with dried (eyeballing it) and it was probably just as tasty.
Ingredients --
2 1/2 cups multigrain rotini pasta...2 cups grape tomatoes...6 ounces baby spinach...4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed.
Dressing - 1/4 cup red wine vinegar...2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley...1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or basil...2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil...1/4 teaspoon salt...1/4 teaspoon black pepper...2 garlic cloves, minced.
Cook pasta according to directions, omitting salt and fat. Rinse with cold water and drain. Combine dressing ingredients and stir with a whisk. Combine dressing and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add pasta and spinach, toss well and top with cheese.
4 servings - serving size is 1 1/2 cups salad, 2 tablespoons dressing.
As you can see, it is easy to substitute and play with the ingredients - bow tie for rotini, regular tomatoes for grape tomatoes, dried herbs for fresh. Even use bottled fat-free Italian dressing.

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