CHRISTMAS PASTA SALAD
Thanks to its festive colors, this pasta salad will shine bright on your holiday table. For the vibrant green dressing, we jazzed up traditional basil pesto with spinach and almonds. A couple tablespoons of white wine vinegar go into the whole dish for extra tang. The pesto can be made three days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories side-dish
Time 35m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the cold water to stop the cooking. Let sit until cool, then drain and set aside.
- Return the water in the pot to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions for al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat evenly and refrigerate until cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil to a blender with the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, lemon juice, chives and 1/4 cup water and puree until completely smooth. Pour the pesto over top of the pasta and add the reserved broccoli, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently until well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with more chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
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Hailey Reinert
hailey-reinert@gmail.comOverall, this is a delicious and easy-to-make pasta salad that is perfect for any occasion.
MuhammZeeshan MuhsmmadZeeshan
muhsmmadzeeshanm@gmail.comThis salad is also great for meal prep. I make a big batch on Sunday and then eat it for lunch all week.
Zwelakhe Zulu
z_zwelakhe9@hotmail.comI added some dried cranberries to this salad and it gave it a nice tart flavor.
Niku Sefa
niku@yahoo.comThis salad is a great way to use up leftover ham or turkey from Christmas dinner.
Pracurjho BARUA
baruap@gmail.comI love that this salad is so easy to make. I can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Kien Felicia
felicia-kien41@aol.comThis salad is so festive and colorful! It's perfect for a Christmas party.
Arijit Singh
arijitsingh@hotmail.comI made this salad for a potluck and it was gone in minutes! Everyone loved it.
Maamaan Sibriye
sibriye24@yahoo.comThis is the best pasta salad I've ever had! The dressing is creamy and flavorful, and the vegetables are perfectly crisp.
Zeus
zeus@gmail.comI've made this salad several times now and it's always a crowd-pleaser. It's so easy to make and it's always delicious.
T Perry
tp83@hotmail.comThis pasta salad was a huge hit at our Christmas party! Everyone loved the combination of flavors and textures.