A box of cassava macaroni, a can of butter beans and the bits and pieces left in my refrigerator transformed in to a tasty salad that is great at home as a main or side dish and best of all, packs perfectly for work, school or a day out on the beach or trails.
It doesn’t matter what you add to your pasta and beans of choice. Include whatever vegetables you have that need to be used. Those vegetables tastier when cooked can be briefly steamed or blanched. Serve with your favourite dressing and enjoy!
This makes 4 servings.
Pasta And Bean Salad With Gremolata
Ingredients
1 227 gram box organic cassava macaroni, cooked according to package instructions
1 400 ml can of butter beans, rinsed thoroughly
2 slices of celery, each stalk cut lengthwise into three strips and finely sliced
1/2 red, brown or white onion, peeled, sliced and finely chopped
1 red radish, julienned
1 cucumber, ends trimmed, peeled and julienned
1 carrot, end trimmed, peeled and julienned
1/2 red and green capsicum, finely chopped
1 marinated and roasted red pepper
handful of olives in brine or salt, pits removed and chopped
4 soaked and cooked shitake and porcini mushrooms (from making No fish sauce)
Gremolata
handful of fresh parsley leaves and tender stems
1-2 tsp finely grated lemon rind (make sure your lemon is unwaxed and chemical-free or organic)
1 clove garlic
Dressing of choice, for serving
Cashew nut and hemp seed parmasen ‘cheese',’ for serving (optional)
Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Open a can of beans, rinse thoroughly and add to a salad bowl.
Take out all the vegetables and left overs and prepare. Wash the celery, radish, cucumber, carrot and red or green pepper. Trim and peel the carrot and cucumber and julienne both. Peel and finely chop half an onion. Cut the celery, radish and pepper. Add everything to the salad bowl. Cut the mushrooms and roasted marinated red pepper and add to the salad. Remove the pits from the olives and finely chop. Add to the salad.
Drain the pasta and add to the salad.
Make the gremolata. Finely chop the fresh parsley leaves. Scrub the lemon and peel the garlic. Finely grate the lemon and garlic on top of the parsley. Add a pinch of salt and mix the gremolata on the cutting board.
Mix the salad thoroughly. Serve in bowls and top with gremolata and ‘parmasen’ / dressing of your choice.