FRESH PASTA SALAD WITH PARSLEY & LEMON

The weather in Brisbane has been solemn and dreary at best this week. The sun teases up, peeking ever so slightly out of the clouds, then disappearing behind them again, playing an abysmal game of peek-a-boo. But I am not letting that dampen my cooking. Over the past 6 weeks or so, I have experimented with lots of soups, curry’s and warm rice dishes, and I have to say, whilst I enjoy comfort food, I am so ready for spring/summer and the delicious food it brings with it. I was sitting on my couch, watching the rain patter down my windows this afternoon and could only think of summer. Bbq’s, bright summer salads, cold chicken cuts and an array of sorbets flashed across my mind. To take myself out of this summer lovin funk I was experiencing, I made the incredibly simple, yet tasty dish below.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g gluten-free pasta 
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach, washed and drained
• 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, finely sliced
• 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, washed & drained well
• sea salt & cracked black pepper

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons 99% fat free mayonnaise (Praise makes a gluten-free & dairy-free one)
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• water, around 2 tablespoons

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water and a few sprinkles of salt to the boil, covered. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for around 6-7 minutes or until pasta is tender. (You may need to taste test to find out when pasta is cooked). Remove from heat and drain well, rinsing with cold water twice. 

2. Meanwhile, combine cut tomatoes, beans and baby spinach in a large serving bowl. Make salad dressing by coming the three ingredients and stirring well to combine. Add water to the dressing to decrease the thickness of the mayonnaise. 

3. Pour cooked pasta into the salad serving bowl, toss with the vegetables and sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Drizzle dressing on tip and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 6 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12-13 minutes (including time to boil the water)

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