Noodle Salad
Introduction
This is Mama Miche and today in My Magic Kitchen: Noodle Salad!
We’re doing a series on summer salads starting with this tasty bit of summer sunshine! The perennial pasta salad.
I’ve been thinking about comfort food for some time. If you say you’re redefining something, I think knowing the definition is a good place to begin.
I would define comfort food as a happy memory mechanism. It’s more than the actual food itself that brings you comfort. There is no denying it picks you up when you’re down, easing you through disappointment, Illness, and heartbreak, true. But what comforts one person may not comfort someone else. When talking about food or comfort in general, it’s a very personal thing.
It says a lot about a person. Tells you about their childhood experiences, more than you may realize. Specific foods or meals that comfort someone reflect the food they grew up with that has positive memories associated. I’ve been asking people what comfort food is to them and my friends have said, “What Mom makes”, “The food someone who loves you prepared with care.” Similar answers abound.
For instance, I am not a soft-boiled egg fan. But. I remember being a little girl and when I was sick, my Momster would make me a soft-boiled egg with salt & pepper and serve it with buttered toast slices in a bowl. I rarely ever make this but there are times when I’m under the weather that I crave it. Even the thought of her making it warms my heart and now since she’s gone, makes me miss her. Her love languages were cooking and shopping. She taught me to cook with love as the special ingredient in everything. We all should. It makes all the difference in the world. I think it’s the love that comforts.
I think most families have some kind of noodle, macaroni, or pasta salad that their Mom, Nonni, or Aunty made for every cookout. I’ll share an updated version of the macaroni salad my Momster made later in this series.
This particular pasta salad has a Mediterranean profile and can be adjusted in many ways. Prefer feta? Use feta? Like olives? Add olives! The most essential ingredients are the Twice Stolen Spice™ and love.
Make your kitchen magic this summer!
Tools
Large Pot
Collander
Knife
Cutting Mat
Mixing Bowl
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Ingredients
Makes 16 servings
16 oz. Box of pasta with a fun shape (fusilli, etc.)
3 Tbsp Oilive or Avacado Oil
1 15.5 oz. Can of Chickpeas
2 Tbsp Twice Stolen Spice™
1 6 oz. Jar Marinated artichokes
3 oz. Sundried Tomatoes*
2 Cups Chopped Broccoli
2 Cups chopped cauliflower
3 Cups Fresh Spinach & Arugula chopped
3 Scallions**
3 Tbsp Fresh herbs***
2 Cups Mozzarella Balls
Dressing
Reserved Artichoke Marinade
½ Cup Olive or Avacado Oil
¼ Cup White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Twice Stolen Spice™
Directions
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Prep
Preheat Oven to 400º F
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil
Drain and rinse chickpeas
Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces
Chip sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces
Thinly slice scallions; use the white and green parts
Cut the artichokes into small bites and reserve the jar and remaining marinade for the dressing
Cooking & Assembly
Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Add 2 Tbsp oil to a foil-lined cookie sheet. Spread chickpeas out evenly and add additional tbsp of oil. Sprinkle Twice Stolen Spice™ over the top, stir to coat chickpeas evenly, and spread out on the pan. Roast chickpeas for 20-30 minutes. Shake halfway to roast more evenly.
Mix all dry ingredients, and refrigerate until an hour or two before serving. Add dressing and toss salad to mix thoroughly.
Dressing
In the reserved jar, use the remaining marinade, add the oil, white wine vinegar, and a generous tablespoon spoon of Twice Stolen Spice™, and shake it up!
Notes:
* Trader Joe’s is my preference, they aren’t in oil
** Substitute shallots or red onion
*** I like basil, rosemary & parsley
