Tinned Tomatoes: recipes

Edamame, Feta and Beet Pasta Salad

I think you may have noticed my love of pasta salad. It can be so much more exciting than your average pasta dish and this Edamame, Feta and Beet Salad is no exception.

I would serve this pasta salad for dinner, but it's great for lunch too and the perfect dish for a picnic or BBQ.

Cooper often requests buffet for dinner. It's his ultimate meal, lots of little bowls full of goodies such as pasta salad, green salad, sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, baby beets, pickled onions, hummus, crusty bread and oatcakes. He's easy pleased and it usually means great leftovers for the next day.

Pasta Salad with Edamame, Feta and Beets

You may notice a wee sneaky bit of extra green in there. I added some spinach along with the edmame beans to the pasta cooking water towards the end of cooking time. I'm all for simplicity and less washing up.

Edamame Beans

In case you haven't come across edamame beans before, they are sometimes called soya beans or soybeans. I have a bag of them in my freezer, they are super handy for adding to salads, soups or stews. They're low calorie and one of the few plant based complete proteins. They're also a rich source of folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamins C and K, as well as the minerals calcium, phosphorus and potassium. What's not to love?

I tossed the pasta with pesto and sprinkled the pasta with some crumbled feta. The beets are pickled, but plain beetroot would be good too. I personally like the sweet zing from pickled beets in a salad, but you choose which you prefer.

Edamame, Spinach, Feta and Beet Pasta Salad

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Edamame, Feta and Beet Pasta Salad

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

March 25, 2015

Pasta salad tossed in pesto, spinach, edamame, beets and feta cheese. Perfect for lunch, dinner, picnics and BBQs.

Ingredients

400g shell pasta
100g frozen edamame beans
100g frozen spinach
4 tbsp pesto, more if you like
12 pickled baby beets, halved
50-100g feta cheese (add as much as you like)
a good grinding of black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. It should still be firm. 2. Add the beans and spinach to the cooking water 2 or 3 minutes before the end of the cooking time. 3. Once the pasta is ready, drain and toss under cold running water until the pasta is cold. This is the secret of good pasta salad with glossy firm pasta. 4. Stir the pesto though the pasta, beans and spinach and season with black pepper 5. Serve each bowlful topped with a generous amount of beets and feta cheese. 6. Enjoy!

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