Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

Another awesome salad from Cooking Light! They are really impressing me lately! So last night we had Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad and Asiago Crescent rolls. And it was awesome. I changed the recipe a little bit and I have a few changes I might make in the future, but it was awesome! Another highly highly recommended meal! I LOVE the crescent rolls and will totally make them again in the future too. I could have them with every meal.

Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad


Acini di pepe [ah-CHEE-nee dee-PAY-pay] are tiny pasta rounds resembling peppercorns. Use ditalini (very short tube-shaped macaroni) or any other small pasta shape if you can't find acini di pepe in your supermarket (So Thriftway actually had acini di pepe but I bought pastine instead because they were star-shaped! But then we actually used Israeli couscous because we have been wanting to try it). Serve with Asiago breadsticks (recipe follows). Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups) (We got two dinners and a lunch out of it with the crescent rolls) Cooking Light, APRIL 2009 (Their pic on the top, ours on the bottom)

6 ounces uncooked acini di pepe pasta (about 1 cup) (we used 8 oz of Israeli couscous)
2 1/4 cups diced plum tomato (about 14 ounces) (~3 plum tomatoes)
1/3 cup capers, rinsed and drained (we left these out)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup sliced pickled banana peppers (I chopped them up and would probably use 1/2 cup next time)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (I left this out since you use olive oil to brown the couscous)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (I might use a mild cheddar if I had it to avoid having to buy another cheese for so little)
1 (16-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained (I used cannelini, are they the same?)
1 ounce salami, chopped (I used a hot Calabrese salami from Trader Joe's)
1 garlic clove, minced (I used 2 cloves)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. (I made the couscous according to the package, brown in a little olive oil, then add boiling water, simmer til water is absorbed, so I left out the olive oil in this recipe)

2. Combine tomato and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add pasta to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine.

Asiago breadsticks: Combine 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (we added some garlic powder as well) in a small bowl. Separate 1 (7-ounce) can refrigerated breadstick dough to form 8 sticks; roll each breadstick in cheese mixture. (I couldn't find breadstick dough at Thriftway so we used Pillsbury reduced fat Crescent rolls and put the cheese mixture on top of the triangle before rolling it up) Bake according to package directions.

CALORIES 371 ; FAT 11.6g (sat 4.7g,mono 5.3g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 21mg; CALCIUM 164mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.7g; SODIUM 919mg; PROTEIN 16.6g; FIBER 6.3g; IRON 3.5mg