Penne Nicoise

Submitted by Kumquat the Cats fr

"Posted for Zaar World Tour 2005. A vegetarian Salade Nicoise with pasta. In France, this salad is only served in spring and summer, so use the freshest vegetables you can find. Pasta cooks with potatoes and beans, which makes it easy and fast. From Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean. Have not made this yet."

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths (about 4 cups)
• 1 lb red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 lb penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb plum tomato, ripe, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup kalamata olive, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• salt, to taste

directions

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and add green beans and potatoes. Return to boil and add pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 11 minutes or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in small skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes and olives and set aside.
4. Drain the pasta, beans and potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Transfer to serving bowl. Add the tomato mixture, vinegar, pepper and salt and toss to mix.
5. If pasta seems too dry add reserved pasta water as needed, a little at a time.

Reviews

[Dreamer in Ontario]

This is a good quick salad. I used yellow fleshed new potatoes, a red onion and green olives (family preference). Tomatoes aren't in season yet and I bet this would be even yummier later on when the local tomatoes are available. Made for Jammin' Java Jivers ZWT5

 

[realbirdlady]

A quick pasta salad, based on traditional Salade Niçoise. This might be a good dish for unexpected company. Cooking the beans and potatoes together, with pasta, does speed up the preparation, but I think it loses some of the distinctness of a traditional nicoise. The pasta effectively stretches the other ingredients, but again perhaps at the loss of some taste.

 

[Thea]

this was a really good pasta dish...We loved this. Made exactly as posted. What a delightful summer salad we are sure to have again! Thanks for posting! Made and Reviewed for Zaar Chow Hounds for the ZWT 5.

 

[kiwidutch]

I acidently bought kalamata olives with the pits still in, when I made this but did have green olives so substituted those. It was DH's dinner and he liked it well enough,but he didn't rave... he said it was well worth 4 stars. Please see my rating system: 4 stars from DH :) Thanks !

 

[MsBindy]

This is a very beautiful and colorful pasta dish. I did not know that Nicoise was a type of olive, and DH did not like them in this at all. I think I would like this much better without the olives, but then it wouldn't be Penne Nicoise, now, would it?