Friday, March 28, 2008

Weekend Wine and A Pasta Salad !



The weekend is upon us and since spring is upon us also, maybe you plan to do some work outside in your garden or yard. If so, you may not have much time to spend on fixing lunch so here is a great Pasta Salad to whip up in between getting your hands dirty!



This is a Tuna Pasta Salad that I have been making for years so all I have to do is gather up the ingredients and click on the recipe in my brain, which sometimes can be…oh, never mind. On with the pasta salad!

¼ lbs. of fresh green beans, cut into inch pieces and blanched for about 4 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. I have also used frozen beans, just barely cooked to retain some crispness.
6 oz. of Dreamfields Rotini Pasta cooked according to package directions, drained and rinsed under cold water and drained again.
1 can or package of solid white tuna packed in water, drained
3 green onions chopped
1 large tomato seeded and chopped, or sometimes I use a good handful of cherry tomatoes
¼ cup chopped black olives
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon celery seeds, optional

I mix the mayo, vinegar and celery seeds in a separate bowl. I toss all of the other ingredients together in a big bowl and then add the dressing and toss again. That is it! What makes this salad so good are the green beans and onions, which give it a nice crunch, the smooth pasta and the nice bite the vinegar adds to the dish!



Let me tell you, Dreamfields Pasta has been a great find for me. I have tried many of the “healthy” pastas on the market, but found Dreamfields to have that authentic pasta taste with only 5 grams of digestible carbs per serving, cholesterol free and 0 grams of trans fat! Dreamfields has twice the fiber of regular pasta because it contains a special fiber, Inulin, which has been shown scientifically to promote digestive health and support a healthy immune system while enhancing calcium absorption! I need all of that at my age!



Another thing I need at my age is a good glass of wine to kick off the weekend. It has been awhile since I have had a nice “Dry Riesling” so I picked up one of my favorites at the store the other day. You cannot go wrong with the 2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling from the Columbia Valley in Washington State. Most Rieslings are a bit sweet but a Dry Riesling does not have a lot of residual sugar left in the wine, therefore it is not as sweet. Ste. Michelle’s Dry Riesling has mouth watering aromas of melon and peach on the opening and those same flavors are echoed in the mouth as you sip. On the palate I also noted a hint of crisp green apple which added to the nice clean finish of this wine.
At $10.99, what a way to start the end of your day! Have a great weekend!
Cheers!

18 comments:

Shayne said...

I had a glass of wine last night and thought of you.

SPRING who are you kidding we had a snow storm last night.

this pasta salad looks good, I never think to make pasta salad and I do love them.

The my son likes squash but not with the spices and my daughter has never been a fan of the orange veggies but loves all the green and white ones.

Anonymous said...

Hi Deb,
I love tuna in pasta salads.
I see you are from Ohio..a state my english bloke, for the life of him, can't pronounce. :)
The vowels just keep coming!

Gloria Baker said...

Good idea Debs, Im a little nostalgic, and a Glass of white wine is perfect!! but I have to see what I have to the salad, I have to go to Supermarket!Your salad looks wonderful, thanks have a nice weekend!!! Gloria

Anonymous said...

Oh that sounds interesting. I like the celery seed addition and with a lovely chilled Riesling...I'm sure it was to die for!

Peter M said...

Deb, you keep inviting yourself up to Toronto for fixins' well...I'm inviting myself to the Keys to get tipsy on expensive plonk with you!

Proud Italian Cook said...

Deb, I've had wine from that vineyard before, we go to the Pacific northwest quite often for vacation, and its fantastic. your pasta salad looks great too!!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I woould love to have a big bowl of this pasta right now Deb. I love how the rotini pasta envelopes all the herbs and flavourings of this quintessential salad. I always add tuna to mine as well for a really quick and hearty lunch with all the staples already in my pantry:D

Lucy said...

Looks wonderful! Hope your weekend is delightful - and that you're getting dirty in that garden of yours.

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful reisling! It pairs very nicely with Asian foods as well!
Happy Spring to you and your lovely salad!

Anonymous said...

We're apparently only allowed springtime weather during the workweek... this is the second weekend in a row that, as soon as Saturday rolled around, the weather turned cool and grey and rainy!

Oh well... makes it a good day for blog reading! Your pasta salad looks great!

winedeb said...

Hi Shayne, you should try a pasta salad. I bet the kids would like it! Still snowing?

Hey Maryann, that is too funny!

Hi Gloria, anything fresh in pasta salad is great!

Hi Cathy, yes the Riesling was great and I bet you get some good ones out your way!

Peter, just let me know when you are in town!

Thanks Maria! I do not get to that part of the country but would love to and try some new wines!

I agree with you Valli. Adding tuna always makes me feel a bit more healthy!

Hi Lucy! Spending a bunch of time out there lately before it get too hot down here in May.

Hey White on Rice, thanks for stopping by and I agree with you guys that Riesling goes great with Aisan foods! Yum!

Hey Miss Culinography! That is one reason I moved from Ohio. Weekdays were always sunny and the weekends yucky!

eatme_delicious said...

Mmm a simple delicious salad. I'd replace the tuna with something like artichokes for a vegetarian meal!

Lori Lynn said...

"Another thing I need at my age..." hahaha

I'll have to give that Riesling a try!

Katie Zeller said...

I love the combination of green beans and tuna! In the summer, when my garden is producing I have just that for lunch, lots... no pasta, (which I also love but takes longer to cook)

Anonymous said...

Quick but nutritious recipes are just what the busy gardener needs. Thanks
TopVeg

Lore said...

Pasta is a staple in our home mostly because my addiction :). For some reason I've never used green onions with pasta although I think that's a splendid idea, one that adds to the freshness of the dish.
Lucky for me spring brought along the most delicate young green onions around here so your pasta salad is on my must try list

DIXIECHICK said...

I love this wine! I buy it often.

amycaseycooks said...

Your photos are beautiful!!!