Loaded Veggie Pasta Salad Recipe
Make this loaded veggie pasta salad in 30 minutes or less for a filling main course or side dish comfort food recipe you can feel good about serving!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 398kcal
Cost: $10.00
Equipment
- medium sized pot
- spoon
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 ounces penne, shells or rotini pasta (lentil or chickpea pasta adds more protein!)
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces and blanched
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup cucumber, cut in bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 a large cucumber)
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
- 1 cup turkey pepperoni, sliced in half
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, diced
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or freshly grated
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- As you bring a pot of water to a boil, set a metal colander in the water. Add the chopped broccoli and let it cook 1-2 minutes or until the broccoli has turned bright green. Quickly remove from the hot water and run broccoli under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set the broccoli aside to drain off the excess water before adding it to the salad.2 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces and blanched
- The water will look a little green, but once it starts to boil add the pasta. Cook to "al dente" according to the package. Once it is cooked, drain the hot water and run the pasta under cold water. Drain and set aside.8 ounces penne, shells or rotini pasta
- In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Add the chopped veggies, pepperoni, hard boiled eggs, Parmesan cheese, and pasta to the bowl with the prepared dressing. Mix gently until all the ingredients are coated with dressing. Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed.1/4 cup red onion, sliced thinly, 1 cup frozen peas, thawed, 1 cup cucumber, cut in bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 a large cucumber), 3 hard-boiled eggs, diced, 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half, 1 cup turkey pepperoni, sliced in half, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or freshly grated
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Tips - We make our own Italian seasoning, because we don't prefer the ones sold in most grocery stores. Most of the store-bought varieties only contain basil, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. However, we want garlic, onion, and salt in there as well. So if you are using a store-bought variety, make sure to add a little garlic and onion powder to the dressing along with the Italian seasoning.
Protein Tips - Using chickpea and lentil pasta add more protein to this pasta than traditional whole wheat pasta.
This salad serves 4-6 for meal-sized portions or 8-10 as a side dish. Nutrition is calculated for 6 meal-sized servings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.7g | Protein: 17.4g | Fat: 20.6g | Saturated Fat: 3.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 792.1mg | Potassium: 136.9mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 34.1IU | Vitamin C: 33.4mg | Calcium: 19.7mg | Iron: 0.6mg
