Roasted cauliflower, quinoa, pasta salad
A flavorful pasta salad with quinoa, roasted cauliflower and a nice tangy lemon salad dressing with saffron, mint, garlic, and green onions.
Servings: 8 -10 servings
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups cooked quinoa 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup water makes about 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/2 lb Pasta mini bow tie
- 1 head roasted chopped cauliflower 450° 15 minutes until golden
lemon saffron dressing
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup oil I use avocado oil, or light olive oil
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
- 5 sprigs fresh parsley
- 5 leaves fresh mint
- 2 green onions
- 6 threads saffron
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano or fresh
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa according to package directions (add more or less quinoa if desired)
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions (add more or less pasta if desired)
- Chop and place cauliflower on a baking sheet drizzle with oil and roast the cauliflower in a 450° oven for 15 minutes until tender and golden.
- Mix the salad dressing by mixing lemon juice, oil, garlic, parsley, mint, onions, saffron, oregano, salt, and pepper. in a glass jar, or use an immersion blender. If you want it CREAMY, add in an egg yolk and as it blends it'll emulsify into a creamy sauce.
- Cool the quinoa by running cold water over it and drain it.
- Do the same for the pasta, run cold water over the pasta until it's cooled.
- Allow the cauliflower to cool for 10 minutes.
- Mix all the ingredients together.
- Add in cooked shredded chicken if desired.
- Chill and serve when cold. or you can serve it hot, or once chilled you can serve it reheated as well.