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Vegetarian Pasta Salad
by A W
serves: 10
  Tasty Pasta Salad: Rotini, Veggies, Beans, Feta, Olives, Herbs
Ingredients:
  1 lb   spiral or penne pasta
  1/2 c   uncooked red kidney beans or 15 oz can cooked beans - drained and rinsed well
  1/2 c   uncooked garbanzo beans or 15 oz can cooked beans - drained & rinsed well
  2   celery stalks, trimmed & sliced thin on the diagonal
  2   samll garrots peeled and sliced thin on the diagonal
  1 c   sliced green beans
  1/2   red or green pepper, sliced in thin strips
  1 T   olive oil
  1 T   minced fresh giner
  2 cloves   garlic, minced
  1/4 C   pitted greek or regular olives
  1/2 can   artichoke hearts, quartered (water pack)
  3 T   olive oil
  3 T   lemon juice
  2 t   dried marjoram leaf or 1 T fresh minced
  1 t   salt or to taste
  1 tsp   ground black pepper or to taste
Directions:
  1.Put 6 qts water on to boil, add pasta & salt, cook al dente, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside to cool
2.Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large frying pan on medium-low
3.Prep the veggies
4.Add the garlic and ginger to the oil and sauté 5 minutes
5.Turn up the heat to med-high, add the carrot, celery, beans & pepper
6.Sauté another 5 minutes
7.Turn heat to low, cover and cook another two minutes
8.Add the veggies to the pasta
9.Drain and rinse the beans, then add to pasta
10.Add the parsley, olives, artichoke hearts, and dressing
11.Lacto-veg: Add crumbled feta cheese if desired at this point (I assure you it isn't necessary)
12.Mix well, adjust seasonings to taste, cover and chill for later, or devour immediately