I used to live in straight-up the BEST neighborhood in Arlington, VA. My neighbors and I referred to Shirlington as "the bubble." It felt like an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Arlington and has pretty much everything the modern urbanite needs to survive without having to step foot into the real world. It has serene walking/running/biking/dog walking trails, like 20 restaurants, small shops, healthcare, a gym, hair and nail salons, and a grocery store. I'm getting super nostalgic just thinking of it! It is one amazing neighborhood and I was so happy to be a part of it for over seven years.
I mention all of this because every now and then when I get nostalgic, I like to recreate one of the meals I used to get in the neighborhood in order to make me feel the warm and fuzzy Shirlington feelings, and the recipe I'm sharing with you today is one of those meals. At the far end of the neighborhood, next door to the famed Carlyle restaurant, there is this little bakery called Best Buns, which boasts some of the best baked goods you'll find in this area. From cupcakes to a plethora of fresh bread to house-made sandwiches and salads, they're food is truly delicious. One of my favorite things to get from Best Buns was their creamy pasta salad. A friend and I were so obsessed with it, we wanted to recreate it at home one day years ago and once we figured out the recipe, I've been making it ever since!
I've made it for myself and to take to parties and it's always a crowd pleaser. As I mentioned in my last post, my boyfriend and I were hosting a cookout at our apartment a couple weeks ago, and I decided to make this copy cat pasta salad recipe for our guests. One of my former neighbors from Shirlington was joining us, so I knew she'd be happy to see a familiar dish on the menu. Since I'm eating much healthier now, I wanted to spruce up the recipe to make it a little more health-conscious, but still delicious! I used brown rice pasta and Vegenaise instead of regular mayo, and it tasted just as good as the original recipe at the store, IMHO. It's all guess work as to what goes into the Best Buns pasta salad, but I think my version is pretty similar taste-wise, even if it is healthier :-) And just a note: if you want to make it completely vegan, leave out the cheese.
OK let's get cookin'!
Italian-Inspired Pasta Salad
Servings: 1 large serving bowl
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
Garlic Aioili
1 cup Vegenaise
4 teaspoons garlic paste
3 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (FCBP)
Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
Add all ingredients to a small bowl.
Stir with a spatula until all ingredients are blended into a sauce.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pasta Salad
16 ounces brown rice pasta
1/4 sweet onion, sliced
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 cup garlic aioli
1 handful pitted kalamata olives, chopped
5 strips sundried tomatoes in oil, julienned
5 large basil leaves, julienned
2 handfuls grated parmesan
1 zucchini, sliced length-wise in wedges
1 teaspoon FCBP
3/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
Start by placing a large pot filled 3/4 with water on the stove over high heat; bring the water to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and a pinch of salt. Stir. Follow the instructions on your pasta package for how long it's supposed to cook and set a timer so you can do other things while the pasta is cooking.
Next, place a non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon of the EVOO.
Once the EVOO is slightly heated, add the sliced sweet onion and toss to coat in the oil.
Allow the onions to cook for five minutes on medium, then reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle in a pinch of FCBB as well as sea salt and stir. Allow to cook until browned and softened - approximately and other ten minutes.
Remove the onions from the heat and place them on a plate covered in paper towels to drain the oil and cool off.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water from it and rinse it in cold water. Place the pasta back in the pot you cooked it in.
Pour the garlic aioli over the pasta and stir to coat the pasta in the aioli.
Add the chopped olives, onions, sundried tomatoes, basil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon FCBP to the pasta...
...and stir to combine.
Next, add in all of the cheese (which is kind of hard to see in this pic, but it's there!)
Stir to combine the cheese with the rest of the pasta salad and then place all of the pasta salad in a serving bowl.
Now to grill the zucchini. Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Next, place the zucchini wedges on a plate and brush with the remaining teaspoon of EVOO. Sprinkle with a pinch of S&P.
Once the grill is heated, place the zucchini wedges on the grill and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until softened and you can see grill marks.
Remove the zucchini from the grill and let it cool for five minutes. Then dice it up into bite sized chunks.
Add the zucchini to your pasta salad and stir to combine.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Salute!
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