I’ve made friends with many vegetarians and vegans lately and I love getting together with them. Just the other day, I went to a vegan potluck at my friend Amanda’s apartment. There were probably 20 people there all of whom brought a vegan dish. A few of the attendees were making vegan dishes for the first time and some of their dishes were the best (shout out to the omnivore who brought vegan mac ‘n’ cheese!). Amanda’s husband made miso tofu sandwiches with sriracha vegenaise. It was as good as it sounds! There was also a sweet potato gratin dish, fresh squeezed lemonade, chickpea salad, pico de gallo, sweet potato muffins, chocolate peanut butter squares, baba ganoush, hummus, chips, pita, three bags of oreos, seven containers of vegan ice cream, watermelon, fruit salad, wine, beer, and I’m probably forgetting at least five other things. It was AHmazing. I brought pasta salad which was not nearly as good as the miso tofu sandwiches but it was still very tasty. I need to get that sandwich recipe… But for now, here’s some easy pasta salad!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of rotini noodles
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 small red onion
- 1 packet of dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (check ingredients to avoid dairy products)
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp dried oregano
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook the pasta noodles according to package directions. Drain and cool the noodles.
2. Combine pasta in a large bowl with chopped red and green pepper, chopped red onion, and the Italian-style dressing. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
3. Prepare the dressing by combining olive oil, balsamic, oregano, and parsley. Pour over the pasta mixture shortly before serving. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Yields: 12 servings
Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/antipasto-pasta-salad/
