Pasta salad madness continues! I’m loving these salads for mid-summer eats. This recipe originally called for asparagus, but it was slim pickins for them at this time of year; so instead I used green beans, with mighty good results. I added some grilled chicken to this dish, and it was the complete dinner.
Green bean-fennel pasta salad
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 3/4″ pieces
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thinly
1 small fennel bulb, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces uncooked penne pasta
4 medium tomatoes, diced
12 pitted Greek olives, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 – 2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into bite-sized pieces
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place green beans, onions, and fennel in a baking pan and drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes unti lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions til al dente. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, parsley, chicken, and roasted vegetables.
In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper until blended. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat. Makes 6 servings.
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