By Devon O’Brien
AmesEats Flavors Writer
You’ve heard the phrase numerous times when you were younger, “eat your vegetables, they are good for you.” Well, it’s true. Vegetables are packed full of essential nutrients; however, they don’t always have the same amount of taste as they do nutrients, so it is hard to get enough in everyday. Don’t fear, with a few additions to your favorite pasta dish, you will be eating your vegetables in no time and maybe even having seconds.
With spring just around the corner, refreshing pasta salads are a great way to sneak vegetables in your diet. Not only are they delicious, but also they’re easy to make and can be altered to your flavor palette.
Begin by cooking a pot of your favorite noodles. If you want additional fiber and nutrition, try using whole-wheat pasta. Chop a variety of your favorite vegetables, I personally like green, red and yellow peppers, a little bit of onion, cherry tomatoes, and blanched and cooled broccoli and asparagus. After you’ve finished chopping the vegetables, toss them together with your pasta and a two to one ration of olive oil and red wine vinegar, a dash of lemon juice, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. This will make your pasta salad light and refreshing, while providing you with good fats, instead of saturated fats. Refrigerate your salad over night, so that the flavors have a change to mingle. Once chilled, you’re ready to serve.
This is a great dish to share with friends and they’ll never know how easy it is. Eating your vegetables can be tasty and healthy; it just depends on how you use them.
