Pasta Salad with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Arugula main meals POINTS(r) Value: 5 Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 12 min Cooking Time: 15 min Level of Difficulty: Easy Tangy blue cheese and salty walnuts add a wonderful flavor accent to this pasta salad. But feel free to substitute feta cheese for the blue cheese and pine nuts for the walnuts if you prefer. Ingredients 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, coarsely chopped 1/2 tsp table salt 6 oz uncooked bow ties, also called farfalle 2 cup arugula, baby leaves, stems removed 2 Tbsp chives, fresh, minced 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar 1 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin 1/4 tsp table salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 3 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled Instructions Place walnuts in a small, heavy-bottomed skillet. Toast nuts over medium-high heat until lightly browned, shaking skillet frequently, about 1 to 2 minutes; remove from skillet and set aside. Bring 3 quarts of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large pot. Stir in pasta and cook until tender, about 11 to 13 minutes; remove 1 tablespoon of pasta cooking water and save for dressing below. Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl; immediately add arugula and toss well. Cover bowl with a lid or tight fitting plastic wrap; set aside until arugula is limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in chives and tomatoes. In a cup, stir together vinegar, oil, reserved tablespoon of pasta cooking water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper in a cup. Pour dressing over pasta salad and toss well; sprinkle with blue cheese. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving. Notes If you*re using mature arugula leaves, chop and add them to the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of the cooking time to blanch them. Drain the pasta and arugula, and immediately move to the next step of mixing the salad ingredients together.
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