Whole Wheat Rotini Pasta Salad Recipes

WHOLE-WHEAT ROTINI MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, add rotini and ook for 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the onions. Add the flour and pepper and mix until mixture is pasty and forms a roux. Whisk milk into pan incorporating the roux. Bring to a simmer over low heat and allow to thicken; about 5 minutes. Once thickened, whisk in the cheeses. Add the pasta and mix until the pasta is well coated. Fold in spinach, sun-dried tomato oil, and sun-dried tomatoes.
• In a small saucepan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, turn heat off and add bread crumbs and paprika. Mix well to combine.
• Pour rotini into a casserole dish large enough to hold the pasta. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and place in oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

WHOLE WHEAT ROTINI PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot with lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook rotini at a boil until the pasta is cooked yet slightly firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
• Rinse the pasta with cold water until completely chilled; drain completely.
• While the pasta cooks, whisk the apple cider vinegar and olive oil together in a large bowl until blended. Stir feta cheese, basil, salt, and black pepper into the vinaigrette.
• Fold the asparagus, tomatoes, carrots, green onions, and garlic into the vinaigrette to coat evenly.
• Stir the cooled pasta into the vegetable mixture; toss until evenly mixed.

WHOLE-WHEAT PASTA SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water, and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
• In a dry saute pan toast the walnuts over a medium-high flame until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set the walnuts aside to cool then chop them coarsely.
• In a large bowl, toss together the chilled pasta, walnuts, feta cheese, onion, and spinach. In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic and mustard. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

ROTINI AND BLACK BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. While pasta cooks, whisk together vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil until dressing thickens. Set aside. Drain pasta and rinse briefly under cold water. Drain completely. Place pasta in a large bowl; add beans, tomatoes, corn, green onions, chives, and cilantro. Toss gently. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and toss again, gently but thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Peel and slice avocado and toss with lemon juice; use as garnish. Serve immediately.

AVOCADO WHOLE WHEAT PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes; drain and run under cold water to prevent sticking.
• Whisk olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and honey together in a bowl until dressing is smooth.
• Mix pasta, avocados, green bell pepper, carrot, green onions, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, and cilantro together in a bowl. Drizzle dressing over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper to pasta salad. Serve at room temperature.