Pasta salad with blue cheese, walnuts, and arugula
8
Points®
Total time: 32 min • Prep: 15 min • Cook: 12 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
Tangy blue cheese and salty walnuts add wonderful tang and heartiness to this pasta salad recipe, which also features peppery arugula, white wine vinegar, grape tomatoes, and lots of fresh chives. But if blue cheese is too strong for your taste, you can try crumbled feta or goat cheese instead. The recipe also calls for the walnuts to be toasted, which is a step you shouldn't skip. To do so, place them in a small, heavy-bottomed skillet and set over medium-high heat. Toast the nuts until they're lightly browned and fragrant, shaking skillet frequently, 1–2 minutes. Let them cool, then chop them up. Use this technique for any recipe that requires nuts to really bring out their flavor.
Ingredients
Uncooked bow tie pasta
6 oz
Table salt
0.5 tsp
Arugula
2 cup(s)
White wine vinegar
1 Tbsp
Olive oil
1 Tbsp
Table salt
0.25 tsp
Black pepper
0.25 tsp
Grape tomatoes
1 cup(s)
Chives
2 Tbsp
Blue cheese
3 Tbsp
Chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp
Instructions
1
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions; remove 1 tablespoon of pasta cooking water and save for dressing. Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl.
2
Immediately add arugula to drained pasta and toss well. Cover bowl and set aside until arugula is limp, about 5 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, in a cup, stir together vinegar, oil, reserved tablespoon pasta cooking water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; set aside.
4
Add tomatoes and chives to pasta salad; pour dressing over top and toss well. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.
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