Cheese And Pecan Pasta Salad Recipes

QUICK AND EASY PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check the package for recommended cook time). Drain and rinse well under cold water.
• While the pasta cooks, in the bottom of a large bowl, make the dressing. Whisk the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, pepperoncini juice (if using), and the olive oil until blended. Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the dressing and mix well.
• Stir in the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, pepperoncini (if using), olives, parmesan, mozzarella, and the herbs (if using). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve or for the best results, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days.

FETA, SPINACH AND PECAN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cut spinach into 1/2"x3" strips.
• Combine spinach, tomatoes, thyme, and 6 Tbsp olive oil in bowl; toss gently and season lightly with pepper, if desired.
• Cook pasta in boiling water 8 min, or al dente.
• Remove from heat (do not drain) and stir in zucchini; let stand 15-20 seconds.
• Drain and rinse with cold water; combine with spinach mixture and toss well.
• Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, if desired.
• Add feta and pecans; toss to mix and season with salt if desired.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE, PECAN AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Add the greens, cherries, pecans, cheese and apples into a large salad bowl.
• Mix the olive oil, Dijon, maple syrup and vinegar in a small jar and sprinkle with and salt and pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake well to mix.
• Pour a little of the salad dressing over the top of the salad and toss to combine. Taste the salad and add more dressing to taste.

SPINACH AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH SLICED APPLES AND SPICED CARAMELIZED PECANS

Steps:

• Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and the seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a salad bowl, combine the apple, spinach, radicchio, and blue cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
• To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle the pecans around each salad.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars, and then the olive and vegetable oils. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Adventures in the Kitchen", Random House, 1991
• In a deep-fryer or a deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F. (A deep-frying thermometer can be clipped to the side of the pan so that you can tell when the proper temperature has been reached).
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pecans and boil for 2 minutes. Drain in a large strainer, shaking off all excess water. Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the nuts and then coat with the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, allowing the sugar to melt into the pecans. Toss the nuts by shaking the strainer, adding a little more sugar each time, until all the sugar is used and all the nuts are coated. Do not use hands or a spoon to toss. The nuts should have a glaze of sugar.
• Carefully add the nuts to the heated oil, keeping the oil at 350 degrees F. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking tray to cool.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Pizza, Pasta & More!," Random House, 2000

HAM AND BLUE CHEESE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large bowl., Stir in the ham, blue cheese, parsley, garlic, rosemary and pepper. Add oil and pecans; mix well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.