Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

May 21, 2012/ Dinner, Food Experiments, Vegan/ 0 comments

I’m not a plant person. Scratch that. I’m not a garden person. Not necessarily because all my plants die on me but because I’ve just never had the patience to grow my own food. That’s probably blasphemous from a vegetarian but I’m not your typical veg-head. I’m pretty lazy when it comes down to it. (Awaiting firing squad.)

But there is something particularly appealing about fresh Basil.

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It was really only a matter of time before this bad boy made it into my grocery cart.

Will and I went grocery shopping on empty stomachs last night (the three cases of lettuce in the fridge was not enough to qualify as my vegetables for the week and so the leftovers had to be supplemented). I didn’t reach for cereal or pastries as I often do when hungry at the store. Instead, as I smelled the basil, I had a craving and inspiration for a basil pasta salad.

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$45 later, we left with ingredients for Will’s fajitas and my pasta salad (and some other odds and ends). Originally I had thought of adding some pesto (aka attempting to make my own) but I kinda ran out of time as Will’s food was ready and we were sitting down together to watch We bought a Zoo.

But no pesto makes this version very light and a perfect way to usher in summer.

Ingredients

* 2 servings whole wheat pasta
* 1 cup green beans, chopped into bite-sized pieces
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
* 4 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
* 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
* 1 TBS olive oil

Prep for this is very basic.

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta until aldente.
2. Meanwhile, snip ends off green beans, and slice the tomatoes.
3. Once the pasta is cooked, scoop out the noodles with a slotted spoon and allow them to cool in a strainer. Using the same water, cook the green beans until softened.
4. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and top with basil.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil and balsamic vinegar and then pour over the other ingredients. Stir to combine.

I had mine over a bed of spinach to add volume.

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Over all, this was a very pleasing dinner although I think I under portioned myself because I kept snacking for the rest of the night. The caloric value of pasta is deceiving and my eyes kept telling my stomach it should be hungry because there was less food on the plate than I’m used to even though it all adds up the same. That’s why I don’t opt for pasta often but man does it taste good when I do have it. All the more reason to enjoy lighter combos like this that allow me to have more yummy pasta because I’m not also having oily sauces.

My basil plant has been “potted” per the directions it came with and is ready for more fun kitchen play.

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Plus it just makes my house smell so good!

Have a great day!

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