Easy Pasta Salad

This pasta salad can be easily customized and made in a large batch in advance. Try one of the flavor profile combinations:

- Mexican: black beans, corn, tomato/salsa, green onions, cheddar cheese

- Greek: chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, olive oil

- Italian: spinach or basil, tomato, mozzarella cheese, balsamic vinaigrette (see recipe below)

- Autumn-inspired: cubed and roasted butternut squash, apples, pecans or almonds, dried cranberries

- Create Your Own: Put a combination of your favorite vegetables, proteins, and toppings together in your pasta salad.

You will need:

-1 box whole wheat pasta

-various toppings, vegetables, and dressing of your choice

Begin by cooking your pasta according to the directions on the package. During this time, you can cut up toppings and prepare your dressing. Once pasta has cooled, mix in the toppings and dressing. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Makes about 1 cup

- 3/4 cup olive oil  
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar  
- pinch of sea salt and pepper

Optional extras: spoonful of mustard, minced shallots, minced garlic, minced fresh herbs, teaspoon dried herbs, spoonful of honey or brown sugar

Place ingredients in a jar or bowl and shake or stir to combine. Separation may occur, so it might be necessary to shake or stir directly prior to serving as well. This dressing works great for the above pasta salads but also for regular salads as well.

Additional Customization:

Making homemade dressings and vinaigrettes does not have to be too challenging. Simply mix 3 parts oil with 1 part acid. Some examples of each of these are:

Oil: olive oil, grapeseed oil, walnut oil, etc

Acid: balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, lemon juice