Here in Nova Scotia the weather is starting to cool off and as much as I love salad, only a warm salad will do for me right now. Bring on the warmth! So I created a warm spinach salad with rotini pasta, sauteed mushrooms topped with a sun-dried tomato and garlic salad dressing and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Divine! A fantastic way for me to eat my fridge:
As I am working my way through my fridge I seem to also be eating my pantry. I love Catelli’s Smart Pasta line. White pasta with lots of fibre, what could be wrong? But I only had one serving left so I decided to add it to my salad. A perfect way to make room in my pantry and make my salad that much more interesting.
In my fridge were two lonely sun-dried tomatoes, not enough to do a big meal with but I knew that until I used them, I would not go out and buy more. I had some spinach leftover from making manicotti the other day and these mushrooms that were a couple of days old that would be great sauteed.
My Dad’s wife Julie shared this sun-dried tomato salad dressing with me years ago and I have been making it ever since. Most salad dressings these days are just some oil and lemon juice which is boring! I like big and bold flavours so bring on the garlic and vinegar!
Using my mini chopper I combined 1/3 cup of olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I usually add even more), 2 tbsp finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, 1/4 tsp sugar, 2 cloves of garlic, minced and salt and pepper. I whizz it up after doing the basic chopping to get this:
A beautiful foodie elixir! But be warned, this salad dressing is for the bold. Strong, powerful and potentially overwhelming. I LOVE it! Best to be eaten as a couple or when your sweetie is away, the garlic makes its presence known for a long, long time.
I try to have this dressing quite regularly because raw garlic is a powerful cancer prevention and fighter food. It really cleanses the body, even though it does not cleanse the palette. For those who do not like super strong salad dressing like I do, you could of course make it with roasted garlic instead. Sun-dried tomatoes are high in vitamin C which is necessary to pair with spinach in order to absorb the iron in the salad. I usually drink juice as I eat this salad to ensure there is enough vitamin C for vitamin absorption. Don’t let those nutritional goodies go to waste!
I sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil, added a little bit of butter and fresh thyme, then deglazed with some white wine for additional flavour. When the pasta was done I tossed it in with the mushrooms to get the flavour everywhere. I grated Parmesan finely over the top and there you have it, a restaurant-quality dish. The best part? I had absolutely everything already in my home to make it therefore this salad did not cost me one extra penny this week.
I had this for lunch with my leftover Quiche Lorraine, which tasted even better the next day! A cozy warm salad with lots of garlicky kick and a slice of hot quiche on a cold and wan November afternoon for free. Life is good.
I hardly ever think to add pasta to my green salads, not sure why, it’s delicious!
I’d have to add a tsp of drained capers to the dressing though, lol! I can’t seem to part them from sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. If one goes in, they all go in!
Crap! Forgot to change email addresses before posting, lol! This is Mrs.B. :O)
Interesting, capers eh? That would be good! And yes, pasta is awesome in salads, I love it. Thanks Mrs. B! Good to know it was you commenting, thanks.
This is a keeper Suzie … and thanks to Julie for giving the recipe originally! I love pasta in a salad and I love warm salads, especially spinach. This is one for me to do…the more garlic the better!!! 🙂
This looks totally awesome! The dressing sounds wonderful!
It looks fabulous! & the pics make it even more appealing! I posted a bit over at the vale, with before & after pics of my fridge (grainy!) . . . using some of the veggies from my CSA share in rattatoui!
Sounds fantastic. I love gutsy flavours, will be saving this dressing recipe and trying it.