Thursday, September 8, 2011

Creamy Pasta Salad


Life has been rich and full this past week. We cared for our soon-to-be 2-year-old grandson twice this week, on Tuesday and again today while our daughter visited her doctor for her 13-week pregnancy checkup. Yes, we will be grandparents again next March ♥. Today, before our daughter left for her appointment, she joined me for lunch and I made this pasta salad which is loaded with wonderful ingredients.


I've had this recipe for years and, unfortunately, I can't give proper credit but I always preferred to use fresh herbs rather than dried in the summer.. My garden is still full of wonderful herbs and my own cherry tomatoes were used in the salad.


Chickpeas and freshly grated Parmesan for protein, with fresh organic radishes and red pepper for crunch!


A side platter of fresh fruit made for a perfect lunch for me, my daughter and future grand-baby :)


Creamy Pasta Salad
Printable Recipe

8 oz dry pasta (I use bows - Farfalle)
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained
6 oz sliced, drained black olives
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup thinly sliced green peppers
1 cup seeded and quartered cherry tomatoes
½ cup sliced radishes
1 16-oz jar good produce-section reduced fat Ranch Dressing
1 Tablespoon basil, chopped
1 Tablespoon oregano, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and drain pasta according to directions on package. Cool under cold running water. Mix with the rest of the salad ingredients and chill.

42 comments:

  1. All the delicious ingredients that we like to prolong the bounty of summer as long as possible!

    I forgive you!! How exciting to be a grandmother for the second time AND enjoy time with your little toddler.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  2. Your pasta salad looks delicious! I made one tonight because it was so hot and it needed more than pasta, zucchini, sauerkraut, peppers and grated carrots...it went well with our sandwiches though! Congratulations on your next grandchild. You must be thrilled.

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  3. Congratulations,another grandchild!What a healthy meal that you served and with fresh herbs makes it all so much tastier. That salad sounds wonderful.
    Rita

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  4. Congrats for your next grandchild!
    this look delicious! gloria

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  5. Congrats on the exciting news Susan! The salad looks great, what type of cherry tomato plant is that? I've never seen one quite so full-enjoy:@)

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  6. congratulations on such wonderful news, and can't believe that little guy is two years already! Exciting times!
    Salad looks amazing.

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  7. A delicious pasta salad with so many fresh ingredients from your garden and shared with you daughter sounds near perfect. a new baby on the way... sweet blessings.

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  8. Oh Nana:) Congratulations:)~

    How exciting..:) and to see that lovely creamy salad and cake..it just shows how you are celebrating..
    These ARE the moments in life..

    It's so nice how we have paralleled each other through the years in some ways:)

    Happy happy for you.

    x

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  9. Yum! I'll be snagging that one. Congrats on being a grandmother again! Exciting and joyous times...

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  10. Congrats on your future grandchild!! :) This pasta salad looks SO good and the fruit plate looks incredible, too!

    Sues

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  11. How fun to have a spring grandchild...congrats, Susan!
    I love pasta in any form. Your salad with the fresh veggies looks delicious.

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  12. Congratulations,another grandchild !Wonderful news, thanks for sharing with us ....Lovely pasta salad Susan! a warm hug...

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  13. What lovely healthy ingredients I'm looking at in this post(except mayby that decadent chocolate cake winking at me harder than the rest!) So happy to hear the good news...may it be a wonderful few months waiting for that big day!
    Ronelle

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  14. That's exciting news, congrats for the baby coming up! That must be so nice to watch the grandkids. Love the cake.

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  15. Prayers for a healthy pregnancy, still so far to go.
    The salad looks delicious. It is a beautiful summer day here, lots of swimmers !

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  16. My I love the look of that salad... was just trying to think of something to go with the corn dogs I was hankering for... this would be swell with them. They are certainly one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Best part is, I think I have most everything in the fridge... great recipe!!

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  17. Love this pasta salad with the fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes, they look so pretty dangling from their pot! May i say that you look a lot like my darling (Irish ancestry) neighbor Mary in your new photo! (she too is a recent grandma and loving the new role!)

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  18. Your photos are always so delicious! What a healthy, gorgeous pot of cherry tomatoes~ Congratulations on your grandchild on the way!

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  19. Congrats on becoming a grandmother again, Susan. Such fun, isn't it? Wish mine lived closer. :(
    Love your pasta salad...the ranch dressing gives it a nice creamy texture. I have a feeling this recipe could be one of those...whatever you have left in the veggie bin types. Those are the best!

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  20. Congrats on your next grandchild. You must be excited! Great pasta salad.

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  21. congratulations on the new baby....how wonderful....

    the pasta salad looks so good !!!

    happy to stop by today

    kary and teddy
    xx

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  22. The pasta salad sounds wonderful with all the fresh tastes of summer. It will be hard to say goodbye to vegetables straight from the garden.

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  23. The lunch looks wonderful. There's nothing like fresh tomatoes. Congratulations on the new little one set to arrive this spring. How exciting!

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  24. What a great lunch. I could eat this every day and be happy for the rest of my life.

    Your cherry tomatoes are impressive. They look like a lovely blooming flower.
    Sam

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  25. Lots of unique ingredients for a pasta salad and it looks delicious. You must have had an interesting week as you look entirely different in your profile shot :-)

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  26. Susan, I like the new look you gave your blog. What a great lunch, and even nicer that you shared it with your loved ones!

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  27. How exciting to have another grandchild on the way. Life just gets better and better, doesn't it? What a yummy, healthy salad. I could eat a plate of this for lunch every day of the week. I'm impressed by that awesome tomato plant. Next year I think I'll put my plants in pots too.

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  28. Love pasta salad. Congratulations on the exciting news!

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  29. The pasta salad looks so creamy and delicious! Your cherry tomato plant looks WOWED..you are not a great gardener.

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  30. I could eat pasta salad all the time. I love the addition of chick peas. Yummy! We have been on a pasta salad kick lately and this sounds perfect.

    You got a new photo! How fun. I love it.

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  31. That is lovely news, another grandchild! I am drooling over your salad and your tomato plant! WOW!

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  32. Congrats on the new grandchild. How fun! This looks delicious. The perfect lunch. What type of tomato plant is that? I may grow in pots next year and that looks like a good one. Have a great day!

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  33. Thank you, everyone!

    For those of you who asked, the tomato plant is called Tumbling Tom. It's a wonderful, prolific cherry tomato plant with a cascading rather than upright habit so it's perfect for the patio. I may plant two of them next year so I have enough to freeze.

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  34. Susan, the pasta salad looks delicious with all the veggies in it. Love your tomato plant...and you sure are very busy ;-)
    Hope you are having a wonderful week :-)

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  35. Congratulations, Susan! My second grandson was born last March :)

    Your pasta sald sound perfect for these last days of summer ..or anytime really, as it is so full of healthy ingredients.

    I love your tomato plant ..I grow all of my tomatoes in pots, so I will have to look for this type next year for my patio.

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  36. Your pasta looks so perfect for the end of summer salad. I love your cherry tomato plant picture just bursting withe fruit. Love all your photos. Congrats on your new grandchild! Joni

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  37. I'm so glad to hear there are so many good things going on in your life! Congrats to your daughter!

    This pasta salad looks so good...creamy in the best possible way!

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  38. great salad and your family is lucky to get to eat your food :-) thanks for the congrats on the baby and congrats to you too hugs Rebecca

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  39. I have got to remember not to come here when I am hungry...it all looks delicious!

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  40. What a beautiful pasta salad! I'm going to copy the recipe...I might have to come back...running late now! Thanks for a great post. Luv

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  41. Felicitaciones por sus excelentes tomates me encanta mirar son una maravilla.... su plato está lleno de vitaminas me encanta,abrazos y bendiciones....Rosita.

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  42. I love this recipe, so delicious, just printed it so I can make it this weekend!! Always looking for new pasta salads :)

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