Very Veggie Pasta Salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • ½ box (approximately 6 oz.) whole wheat penne pasta,
  • 12 oz. broccoli florets (approximately one head, chopped into florets)
  • ½ bag (approximately 5 oz.) matchstick carrots (you can buy carrots and julienne them yourself or be lazy like me and just buy the precut bags at the store…your call)
  • ½ cup light Italian dressing
  • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
  • ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake (more or less depending on preference)
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta al-dente according to package instructions. Two minutes before the pasta is done throw the broccoli and carrots into the boiling water.
  2. Drain pasta and veggies reserving about a ½ cup of starchy cooking water.
  3. While the pasta and the veggies are still in the colander, rinse with cold water for about 30 seconds to a minute to stop the cooking process and cool them slightly. Finish draining.
  4. Add pasta and veggies to a large mixing bowl and add about ¼ cup of the starchy cooking water to start (you might need to add more at the end but start with just a ¼ cup as you don’t want it to be too runny). You need the cooking water to help the sauce come together and stick to the pasta.
  5. Add the Italian dressing, parmesan cheese, cilantro, crushed red pepper flake, salt and pepper. Stir to combine throughly.
  6. Serve immediately, or chill slightly before serving.
Recipe by Becky's Best Bites at https://beckysbestbites.com/very-veggie-pasta-salad/