I had a brain-wave a couple weeks ago while driving home from work, and got an idea for a tasty pasta salad. It was so compelling that I had to make it when I got home. Fran and I love cheese, but if you want to go vegan, you can obviously just leave it out.
Peas Pasta Salad
- 1 package multicolor/shape pasta
- 1 small package frozen peas
- Sun-dried tomatoes (to taste – I use about 1/4 cup)
- 1 large shallot
- Roasted garlic cloves (to taste – I use about 6 cloves)
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Hot pepper oil (you can just substitute some fresh peppers or chili powder if you prefer)
- Black pepper
- White pepper
- (optional) Asiago, romano, or parmesan cheese (to taste- I like at least 1/4 cup)
Boil your pasta until done, following package directions. Steam your frozen peas (don’t boil them, you lose all the nutrients!) – bonus points if you steam the peas over the boiling pasta water to save time, energy, and water!
Chop sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, and roasted garlic, and heat together with olive oil and pepper oil (or peppers) in small pan until shallot just begins to color. Add kosher salt, ground black pepper, and white pepper to oil mix.
When pasta and peas are done cooking, rinse them in cold water immediately, to stop them from overcooking, and keep their firmness.
Add the cooked (and now rinsed and cooled) pasta back to the pot you cooked it in, and mix in the peas, and oil/tomato/shallot/garlic mixture.
Grate cheese into pasta mix, and mix well.
Taste your creation – add more seasoning to your preference, or more oil if you prefer your pasta salad a bit more wet.
I love this dish because the peas are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, giving a bit more of a nutritional *punch* to otherwise empty pasta salad. The pepper oil gives just enough of a buzz on the lips and tongue that it makes things really interesting.
Let me know if you try it, and what you think!
Enjoy!
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