Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Pasta Salad

Dinner tonight was delicious, so I thought I should share it. The combination of all the ingredients just went perfectly together, and Jared and I agreed that it had a very fresh, vibrant flavor. Of course I didn't actually measure anything, so here's the rough estimate:

3 or so cups of cooked macaroni or other small pasta
2-3 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (you might want to start out with less and add more at the end to taste)
A couple shakes each of salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and basil to taste (you really don't    need very much salt at all)
About 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
A couple shakes of parmesan cheese

While the pasta is cooking, combine the oil, lemon juice, and seasonings in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add the pasta and spinach and stir it up. Zap the pasta/spinach in the microwave for about a minute to slightly wilt the spinach. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir it so everything is coated in the dressing. Taste it and add more seasonings if needed. Serve at room temperature.