Fourth of July Series part 2 ~ Bow Tie Pasta with Basil Vinaigrette

Welcome back for part 2 of our Fourth of July series.  Yesterday we kicked things off with a Lynchburg Lemonade Cocktail made with homemade sour mix.  And just a side note on that homemade sour mix…..  Please, please never ever buy pre-made sour mix again.  Please?  Promise me?  Yes?  Okay.  I feel better now.  Back to the subject at hand.  Pasta Salad!Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette ~ Living the Savory Life

Pasta, veggies and a zippy homemade basil vinaigrette.  The fresh basil delivers a huge dose of summertime.  The lack of mayonnaise in this recipe makes it a really picnic/party friendly recipe.  Serve this salad chilled or at room temperature.

I recommend making this the night before your party.  Pull it out of the fridge at the beginning of the party and give it a good toss.  Taste it and adjust if need be.  Add salt, pepper, more vinaigrette.  For this recipe I used red peppers, red onion and snow peas, but feel free to change it up based on what is fresh and what is local.  Keep color in mind.  It should not only taste good  but look good as well.  Tomato and mozzarella would be awesome here.  If you choose to use tomatoes, I recommend removing the seeds before tossing with the pasta.Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette ~ Living the Savory Life

Pasta Salad Tips

  • Be careful to not overcook your pasta.  Cook until al dente, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking.  Overcooked pasta in pasta salad will give you a very mushy dish.
  • When making a large quantity, mix it in batches to ensure even distribution of dressing and ingredients.
  • Even if a recipe calls for a specific amount of dressing, start with half, toss it well and taste.  You may find that half is enough for your liking.  If you need more, add a bit more.  Toss, taste, repeat.
  • If you aren’t serving the pasta salad immediately be sure to keep some extra dressing to the side.  As it sits, the pasta will soak up the dressing.  By the time you serve the pasta, it might be dry and need more dressing.
  • Pasta salad can often be made the day before with great success.  Just be sure to follow the previous tip!

Bow Tie Pasta with Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

  • 1 box Bow Tie pasta cooked al dente according to package instructions
  • 1 red pepper capsicum large dice
  • 1/2 red onion small dice
  • 2 large handfuls of snow peas blanched cold shocked and chopped into large pieces
  • 1 recipe of basil vinaigrette recipe below

Basil Vinaigrette

  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves washed and dried well
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2-3/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

  1. Toss together all salad ingredient except for the vinaigrette.
  2. Add 1/3 of the dressing and toss well. Taste. Add more dressing as desired.

Basil Vinaigrette

  1. Place garlic, salt, pepper, 1/2 of the basil, and red wine vinegar into a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. With the blender running, slower drizzle the olive oil into the blender creating an emulsified dressing.
  3. Taste and add more oil if the dressing is too acidic.
  4. Coarsely chop the remaining basil and stir into the dressing. A couple of leaves can be reserved for garnish if desired.

Recipe Notes

**Be careful to not overcook the pasta. Cook until al dente, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

**Blanch the snow peas in boiling water for 30 seconds or less. Alternatively they can be used raw but be sure to trim them and string them.

**The vinaigrette is meant to be more acidic with pasta salad. If using this vinaigrette for a green salad add a bit more olive oil to cut down on the acidity.

**This recipe was written to have texture to it which is why 1/2 the basil is reserved and then stirred in later. If a smooth texture is preferred simply add the full amount of the basil into the blender.

**When making this pasta salad in advance of serving reserve a bit of the vinaigrette. Just before serving, taste and to see if more dressing is needed. While sitting the pasta will soak up the dressing and may cause it to dry out.

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