Appetizers / Soups / Salads

Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad is for Lunch.

Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad takes several minutes to prepare.

Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad takes several minutes to cook.

Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad makes 20 servings.

The ingredients for Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad are:

Ingredients:

* 1 lb spiral or penne pasta
* 1/2 c uncooked red kidney beans* OR 15 oz can cooked beans - drain & rinse well
* 1/2 c uncooked garbanzo beans* OR 15 oz can cooked beans - drain & rinse well
* *If you want to cook your own beans, see the directions below
* 2 celery stalks, trimmed & sliced thin on the diagonal
* 2 small carrots peeled and sliced thin on the diagonal
* 1 cup sliced green beans
* 1/2 red or green pepper, sliced in thin strips
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 c minced fresh parsley
* 1/2 cup pitted greek or regular olives
* 1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, quartered (water pack)
* 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced
* 2 scallions, white and light green parts only
* Lacto-Veg Option: 1/4 - 1/2 c. diced feta cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

* 3 Tbsp olive oil
* 3 Tbsp lemon juice
* 2 tsp dried basil leaf OR 2 Tbslp fresh minced
* 1 tsp dried marjoram leaf OR 1 Tbsp fresh minced
* 1 tsp dried thyme leaf OR 1 Tbsp fresh minced
* 1 tsp salt or to taste
* 1 tsp ground black pepper or to taste

Here is how you make Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad:

Pasta Salad Directions: 1. Put 6 qts water on to boil, add pasta & salt, cook al dente, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside to cool 2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large frying pan on medium-low 3. Prep the veggies 4. Add the garlic and ginger to the oil and saut? 5 minutes 5. Turn up the heat to med-high, add the carrot, celery, beans & pepper 6. Saut? another 5 minutes 7. Turn heat to low, cover and cook another two minutes 8. Add the veggies to the pasta 9. Drain and rinse the beans, then add to pasta 10. Add the parsley, olives, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, scallions and dressing 11. Lacto-veg: Add crumbled feta cheese if desired at this point (I assure you it isn't necessary) 12. Mix well, adjust seasonings to taste, cover and chill for later, or devour immediatelyNumber of Servings: 20Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHAYLEE10.

The nutritional information for Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 20
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 169.9

• Total Fat: 3.8 g
• Cholesterol: 7.5 mg
• Sodium: 228.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 29.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
• Protein: 5.8 g

The dietary needs meet for Vegetarian Summer Pasta Salad is Lactose Free