Herbed Penne And Cucumber Salad Food

HERBED PENNE AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor purée the mint, the dill, the parsley, and the scallion with the mayonnaise, the buttermilk, and salt to taste until the dressing is smooth. In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the penne until it is tender and drain it in a colander. Refresh the pasta with under cold water and drain it well. In a large bowl toss the pasta with the dressing and the cucumber and chill the salad, covered, for 1 hour. The salad may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

CREAMY HERBED CHICKEN AND ARUGULA PASTA SALAD WITH ASIAGO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, chives, sour cream, parsley, tarragon, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl.
• Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot; brush with the oil. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken, turning once, until well-marked and just cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool; add to the bowl with the dressing.
• Add the chicken, arugula, Asiago and onion to the bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. The pasta salad is best if served right away.

PENNE WITH CUCUMBERS, TOMATOES AND FETA CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Wash, core, and chop the tomatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.
• Peel the cucumbers, quarter lengthwise and into slivers, I have also cut them into cubes. Put the slivers or cubes in a bowl of cold water.
• Peel, trim and mince the garlic.
• Rinse the mint leaves, pat them dry and coarsely chop them.
• In a small skillet, cook the garlic in the olive oil over low heat, stirring until softened, but do not let it brown. Add the pepper flakes, anc cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Then blend in vinegar.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to directions for an al dente pasta. Drain the pasta. To prevent the pasta from sticking you can spread it out on a large baking sheet and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
• Drain the cucumbers.
• In a large ceramic bowl add pasta, the tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, olives and seasoned olive oil. Toss well until past is uniformly shiny. Crumble the feta cheese into the salad and toss to combine. Best served within an hour of finishing.

CUCUMBER DILL PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook shells per package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again.
• In large bowl combine pasta with green onions and cucumbers.
• In another bowl, blend together dressing ingredients, adding more or less of ingredients to get the right taste for you.
• Toss dressing with pasta and refrigerate. Serve cold.
• Note: If refrigerated for long, the cucumbers will "weep" and make the salad less than appealing. Plan to eat this within 2 hours of making.