Minestrone Salad
Minestrone Salad made its annual warm-weather debut at our house this weekend. We had a fun, family-filled Saturday with guests at all three meals. To have more time to visit, I made food that was easy to prepare early in the day. Minestrone Salad is one of my two favorite main dish pasta salads.
This time, I used salami for an antipasto version. Salami is great for a make-ahead version and keeps well for the next day. When I have the time, marinated and grilled flank steak instead of the salami is a tasty variation. This recipe makes a lot of salad, which is great for a crowd or for when you want a "no-cooking" night. Either way, it's my kind of meal. Because the dressing is served on the side, it was fresh and fabulous the second night.
Minestrone Salad
Ingredients
12oz farfalle - cooked according to package directions, drained and rinsed
2-14oz can of kidney beans, one light red and one white
4 carrots diced, blanched
10 oz fresh green beans, blanched
3 zucchini, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 box cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb hard salami, cubed
Dressing - 6oz plain Greek Yogurt mixed with 6oz jar of pesto
Instructions
After cooking the pasta, set it aside to cool. I drizzle a little olive oil over it to prevent sticking.
Combine the pasta, veggies, and salami.
Cover and refrigerate until it is time to serve.
Serve over lettuce leaves.
Drizzle with dressing.
Enjoy!