summer dill pasta salad

I think the heat broke a little bit. It's at least 3 degrees cooler than it was before. I'm thankful for the little things. I'm also thankful for this salad. Sure, I know what you're thinking. It's pasta salad, big whoop. Normally I steer clear of pasta salads on buffet tables since they're usually laden with gloopy mayonnaise or bottled Italian dressing. No thank you. But this salad, this pasta salad, is perfect.


I attribute the perfectness of this salad to the fresh dill snipped from my garden. There's enough of it to pack quite a punch and along with the fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, it makes for a delicious summer meal. Something easy enough to pack on a picnic or whip up for a quick weekday lunch. Leave it vegan or top it with some feta cheese, either way, it's delicious.

On my last post I mentioned that I'd be away on holiday. My husband and I are flying off to Montreal, renting a car and driving around New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to camp, road-trip, couch-surf, and experience the lovely Maritimes. Got any tips for us? Leave a comment with any recommendations, as they'd be very much appreciated!

summer dill pasta salad
250 g gemelli pasta (or other short pasta shape)
1 heirloom tomato, chopped
1/2 cucumber, julienned
1 carrot, jullenned
1/4 walla wall onion, sliced thinly
1/4 c chopped fresh dill
2 T goat cheese feta

vinaigrette
1/2 lemon
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1 fat clove of garlic, minced
1/2 t agave syrup
salt & pepper

Cook pasta in salted water until cooked al dente. Cool under running water and drain well. Add the pasta into a large bowl along with the other salad ingredients. Add dressing ingredients to a jar and shake. Pour over salad and toss well. Sprinkle with feta and serve.

easy does it

When it comes to making a weekday lunch, I don't want a big production. I'm working, I'm hungry and I'm more likely to eat crackers and a Granny Smith apple than to actually make something from scratch. But today I made something that was easy, fast and super yummy. I had a bottle of my favorite dressing in the fridge (but you could certainly make your own from scratch as I've done many times in the past) and a can of tuna in the cupboard. Lunch seemed simple. A little of this, a dollop of that and lunch was ready to eat in no time flat. I actually thought that I had bought a bag of peeled edamame, but when I checked the freezer I realized I had accidentally purchased broad beans. Oh well, they worked wonderfully with the corn and pasta here and the dressing adds a nice little kick.

tuna pasta salad with broad beans & corn
250g rotini
1 can tuna, drained
1/2 small onion, diced fine
1/2 green pepper, diced fine
1/4 c frozen corn
1/2 c frozen broad beans
a pinch of ground pepper
a blob of Annie's Goddess Dressing (or make your own)

1. Prepare pasta as directed. During the last few minutes of cooking, throw in the frozen beans and corn. Drain pasta and vegetables and rinse with cold water.

2. Put into large bowl and add in tuna, onions and green pepper. Pour in enough dressing to coat the pasta making sure not to over do it! Grind in some pepper and chill at least 1 hr in the fridge...as if! Or eat after 5 minutes like I did.