Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

The juicy fresh tomatoes, tangy banana peppers, creamy Monterey Jack cheese, and salty salami and capers make it a colorful and flavorful pasta salad dish. It is great as either an entrée or side. The best part about this simple pasta salad is that you can make them in less than 20 minutes. Serve with Asiago breadsticks.

Acini di pepe [ah-CHEE-nee dee-PAY-pay] are tiny pasta rounds resembling peppercorns. Use ditalini (very short tube-shaped macaroni) or any other small pasta shape if you can’t find acini di pepe in your supermarket.

Total time: 20 Minutes

(Make 4 serves)

Amount Per Serving (about 1 1/2 cups): 371 Calories, 16.6 g. Protein, 51.7 g. Carbohydrates, 6.3 g. Dietary Fiber, 11.6 g. Fat (4.7 g. sat fat, 5.3 g. mono fat, 1.4 g. poly fat), 21 mg. Cholesterol, 3.5 mg. Iron, 919 mg. Sodium, 164 mg. Calcium

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. of uncooked acini di pepe pasta (about 1 cup)
• 2 1/4 cups of diced plum tomato (about 14 oz.)
• 1/3 cup of capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup of sliced pickled banana peppers
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp. of cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. of dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp. of salt
• 2 oz. of Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 (16 oz.) can of navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 oz. of salami, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
• In large-sized bowl, combine tomato and remaining ingredients.
• Add pasta to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine.
• Asiago breadsticks: Combine 1/2 cup of grated Asiago cheese, 1 Tbsp. of sesame seeds, and 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper in small-sized bowl. Separate 1 (7 oz.) can of refrigerated breadstick dough to form 8 sticks, roll each breadstick in cheese mixture. Bake according to package directions.

Source : EatingWell

Related Recipes

Vegetarian Tomato Basil Pasta with Asiago Cheese
This is a quick pasta dish for vegetarians who don't eat meat substitutes and don't have a lot of time or vegetables on hand....

Fresh Tomato, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta
Although this simple pasta dish requires a bit of ingredients, it’s certainly worth. It was really tasty and not heavy at all. This basic pasta only took 40 minutes from start to table. ...

Quick Spinach and Tomato Pasta
While the pasta is cooking, whip up this vegetable-rich sauce for dinner in 20 minutes or less. Serve with a garden salad for perfect meal....

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta
Cubed chicken breast is simmered in a peppery tomato-basil sauce and tossed with fine strands of angel hair pasta. ...

Roasted Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta Salad
This simple dish is made with tender chicken, chewy pasta, juicy grapes, crunchy celery, green onions, and parsley in a zesty orange dressing....