I am all about making fresh and hot meals for my family. But there are a few exceptions to this and one of them is Pasta Salad. I love to have these handy in the refrigerator, chilling and ready to feed the boys during one of their hunger marathons. I would rather have them eating the cold pasta salad loaded with vegetables instead of digging into the pantry looking for some sugary snack. This week, I am exploring more into making pasta salads with different flavor combinations. Yesterday I made the Pasta salad with roasted corn and edamame and it was quite a filling after-school snack. I also took the chance to use up ingredients from my pantry and made this Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad with jarred roasted peppers. I had bought the jar of roasted peppers sometime back for some recipe that I had in mind to create but never got around to making it. So I used that to make this delicious pasta salad and also made a simple vinaigrette dressing. I was looking for other ingredients to add to the roasted pepper pasta salad and caramelized onion is the first thing that came to my mind. We all love caramelized onion and especially my boys, who would just eat them as is. I also added a good handful of cilantro as the fresh herb and topped the salad with spicy pepper jack cheese.
For me Pasta Salads are all about different flavors and textures, so let’s talk more about the ingredients -
Pasta -
Depending on what kind of salad I am making, I would choose the size and kind of pasta. I used small elbows for today’s recipe to make it easier for the boys to scoop up everything with a spoon. We can go a little larger size and use Penne or Rotini as well. Make sure that you chop the rest of the ingredients based on the size of the pasta.
Roasted Peppers -
I used jarred roasted peppers for this recipe. It is really easy to roast peppers at home, but it is very convenient to have a jar (or two) in hand to make some quick recipes like this. Make sure you buy good-quality roasted peppers for better flavor.
Caramelized Onions -
I love to add caramelized onions to any recipe. We all love the sweet flavor of caramelized onions, especially my boys. In this Pasta Salad recipe, the flavor of the caramelized onion along with roasted peppers and cilantro works really well. I used yellow onions and cooked it with some salt in my favorite cast iron skillet (got to love the cast iron for these).
Cucumber -
Cucumber was almost a last-minute addition to the Pasta Salad. I wanted to add some ingredients to add crunch to the salad and was debating between almonds and walnuts. I skipped both the nuts and instead added fresh and crunchy cucumbers to the salad.
Cheese -
Add any kind of cheese or none to your salad. It is solely based on your preference. I used pepper jack cheese for some heat and also because my husband loves the cheese in the salad. My boys did not care much for the cheese, but my husband loved it. Got to meet the boys somewhere in the middle!
Cilantro -
This ingredient is for me. I need some fresh herbs in my salad and for today’s pasta salad recipe, I chose to go with cilantro. Cilantro is one of my favorites when it comes to fresh herbs followed by basil. Add as little or as much as you like. There is no hard and fast rule of how much cilantro to add.
Vinaigrette -
Yesterday I was talking about how I was using up my stash of salad dressings from the refrigerator. I was planning on doing the same today and using some dressing to pair with this Roasted pepper pasta salad but decided that all it needed was a simple fresh vinaigrette. I used Red wine vinegar with some fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper along with good-quality olive oil to make this dressing. Preparation time - 5 minutesCooking time - 20 minutesDifficulty level - Easy / Beginner
Procedure to make Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad -
To make the Vinaigrette dressing -
Combine all the ingredients except oil in a small bowl and mix well to combine. Now whisk the mixture and drizzle in the olive oil to blend it. The dressing is now ready. Keep it aside until the pasta salad is ready.
To make the Pasta Salad -
Cook the pasta according to the label instructions. Drain the cooked pasta and rinse it in cold water to avoid further cooking.
Meanwhile, heat a cast iron or any heavy bottom skillet and add the oil to it. When the oil heats up, add the sliced onions and just enough salt for the onions.
Mix well and let it cook/caramelize over low heat. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes for the onions to caramelize.
Let the onions cool a bit and in the meantime, chop and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Chop the roasted pepper into bite-size pieces and place it in a large bowl.
Add the caramelized onions, cilantro, cooked pasta, and cucumbers to the same bowl and combine.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix gently to evenly combine.
Add the cheese if using and toss and serve at room temperature or cold.
More Salad Ideas
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