Quick Vegetable Pasta(Eat as Salad or Main Course)

Cook the Pasta not the Veggies.This is a very quick and simple healthy pasta salad.After pizza , a very favorite dish for kids is pasta or noodles.Pizza is cheesy and Pasta is easy to eat . Pasta comes in different shapes,sizes and colors so it is a great attraction for kids.The pasta dish I am presenting here today can be eaten as a salad or can be eaten as a main dish.It works both ways.I call this a salad because I am using raw vegetables in it.

Let's get into the preparation of the dish-----------

Main Ingredients :
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Elbow Pasta.................1lb(use any kind)
Zucchini........................1(yellow/green)
Snap Peas.....................1cup
Cauliflower....................2cups
Kidney beans.................8oz can

Ingedients for Dressing :
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Black Pepper Powder..............2tsp
Yellow Mustard Paste..............2tsp
Red Vine Vinegar.....................1tbsp
Olive oil...................................2tbsp
Thai Red Chilli Paste................1tsp

Preparation :

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Cook pasta according to the package directions(add salt and oil in water while cooking pasta).While the pasta is cooking prep the vegetables.Wash all the veggies you are going to use and cut them in bite sizes.

Once the pasta is cooked al-dente drain the water from the pasta and add little olive oil to the hot pasta,immediately add all the vegetables you have cut, to the hot pasta and close the lid.The vegetables will get steamed with the heat of pasta.Remove the lid and add the rinsed kidney beans to the pasta.

Now take all the seasoning ingredients except chilli paste and place them in a bowl and whisk them well and pour over the pasta and vegetables.Stir the pasta well so that the vinegar-mustard-olive oil dressing blends well with the pasta.

Yummy vegetable pasta is ready to serve.If you want to make it more spicy add Thai chilly paste in the pasta for adults .

Note :

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1) Use any kind of pasta.You can use whole grain pasta too .They all taste good with this recipe.

2)You can also add bell-peppers ,olives , broccoli and sweet corn to this dish.

3)Do not add any cheese to this dish.It tastes good without cheese because of the dressing.

I am sending this recipe to Cooking with pasta event hosted by Sowmya of Creative Saga.

I am sending this recipe to Healthy Inspirations -Salads event hosted by Usha.