Pasta Salad and a trip to the Farmers Market

     This pasta salad recipe is one that my Grandma used to make. It was one that was a staple in her refrigerator during the summer when I was growing up. I always knew that when I would finish mowing her yard I could go inside and grab a big bowl of this to cool off. Of course back then I wasn't gluten free, so the pasta was regular gluteny pasta.
     I was thinking about this salad a couple of weeks ago and begged Grandma for the recipe. She was kind enough to give it to me, and I turned it gluten free. It tastes just as amazing with the gluten free pasta as it did with the gluteny pasta. I have a big bowl of it in my refrigerator now.....yum!!
     In my excitement to get the ingredients today at the Farmers Market, I picked up a zucchini. I got home and was slicing the zucchini and putting it into the dressing and I went OH NO, this recipe takes a cucumber. OOPS!! However, it still tastes amazing with the zucchini. Possibly even better than the cucumber....because I'm not a big cucumber fan. Anyways.....in the pictures for the recipe...yes I know that's a zucchini haha I'm a dork and picked up zucchini. I may make it with zucchini from now on! ha

Pasta Salad

Dressing:
1 1/4 C. Sugar
1 1/4 C. Oil
1 1/4 C. Vinegar
2 T. Garlic Powder
1 T. Parsley

1 Onion, thinly sliced
1 Cucumber
1/2 Bag of Tinkyada Penne pasta or spirals (approximately 8oz of gf pasta)

Combine the Sugar and vinegar for the dressing. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved completely. Very slowly pour the oil in whisking the whole time. Keep a steady stream of oil pouring while whisking quickly creating an emulsion. Add the garlic powder and parsley and whisk to combine.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Run cold water over the pasta to cool. Drain and add to the dressing mixture.

Thinly slice the cucumber and onion. Add to the dressing mixture.

Refrigerate the salad. This pasta salad is best when it is made in advance so that all the flavors can mesh. It keeps up to one week in the refrigerator and if you run out of pasta/veggies and have leftover dressing you can just replenish the pasta and veggies and add them back into the "juice".

Whisk quickly and pour the oil slloooooowy to create the emulsion

Thinly slice the cucumber or in this case the zucchini.

Also thinly slice the onion.

Combine the veggies, pasta, and dressing. Toss to coat and refrigerate so that all the flavors can mesh.

I hope you enjoy this yummy summer pasta salad!

-Jessica

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Italian Pasta Salad

    I have been craving pasta salad for a while now. However, if you have been gluten free for long then you may have possibly had an experience with pasta salad. It doesn't always work out. However I have found that if you use the right kind of pasta for the job, then it holds up well and doesn't turn to mush. I have made some very successful pasta salads using Tinkyada brand pasta. This is pretty much the only brand of gluten free pasta that I will eat. The other stuff is just junk. (keep in mind I am NOT being paid to say this ha).
    I decided today that I was making some pasta salad. I really want a creamy sauced salad. So I decided I would make Italian pasta salad. I didn't really plan ahead for this recipe so that's why I am calling it "Everything But The Kitchen Sink". I just pulled ingredients out of the fridge that might work. I had some mini pepperoni, green pepper, mushrooms, block cheese, frozen peas, Italian dressing and of course pasta. You can use whatever you have in your fridge to make your own salad. It would be great with other ingredients too.
     So keep in mind my recipe isn't something that you need to stick to faithfully. If you are a huge fan of green pepper, then add more of that in. If you hate cheese then leave that out (but how could anybody hate cheese? Seriously, we can no longer be friends). Just put in your favorite things.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Italian Pasta Salad

3/4 Pkg of Tinkyada Brown Rice Spirals, cooked according to package
3/4 Bottle Italian Dressing
3/4 C. Cheese diced into small cubes
1/3 C. Frozen Peas
1/3 C. Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C. Green Pepper, diced
1/2 C. Mini Pepperoni

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Run the pasta under cold water when it is finished cooking. When pasta feels cool to the touch it can be added into the mixture with the rest of the ingredients.

Combine the pasta, Italian dressing and other ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to mix and mesh.

While the pasta is cooking prepare the other ingredients.

Add the cooled pasta with the veggies, dressing, etc.

Toss all of the ingredients to coat. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. That will allow the flavors to mesh.

Enjoy!!

-Jessica

P.S. On Pinterest I had ran across a idea that said that if you put a wooden spoon over a boiling pot it will NOT boil over. So I put their little idea to the test today.

The idea worked better than if there had not been a spoon over the pan. However I still had a little bit spill over. Soooooo don't rely on that little tip to save you from scrubbing the stove top! Pinterest fail!