Spicy Roasted Red Pepper & Potato Pasta Salad

Welcome to something completely different from my usual blog posts! I couldn’t resist the recipe challenge Healthy Solutions Spice Blends presented; I love trying new things and I love spice :).  I’m not as confident in my cooking skills as my baking ones; I almost always follow a recipe with maybe a few tweaks here and there, so to come up with a recipe from scratch was quite the adventure.  I went through so many ideas, wanting to keep it simple and easy (lazy!) but wasn’t feeling particularly inspired.  And then, one morning I woke up with potato pasta salad stuck in my head and I ran with it :).

If you’ve never had potato pasta salad, it’s awesome.  It sounds odd, that you would add potatoes to a pasta salad but the combination is pretty amazing.  The first time I had it was at a gathering with my sister-in-laws family and I couldn’t stop eating it!  Thanks extended Elsea family!

One of the coolest things I learned while developing this recipe is how easy it is to make egg/dairy free mayonnaise. I had no idea, but with a food processor or blender, it takes less than 5 minutes.  Seriously, it’s so simple, and you can tailor it to your own tastes and adjust the consistency simply by adding more or less oil.  I’ve actually never been much of a fan of mayonnaise, which is probably why I had no idea how easy it is to make, but this method has made me do a complete 180.

For this recipe, I added Roasted Red Peppers, a whole Avocado and the Healthy Solutions Chili Seasoning Spice Blend to the mayonnaise base to make a dressing for the pasta, but if you refrigerate the dressing for a few hours, it gets firmer and you can use it as a spread for sandwiches :).

This recipe has a bunch of ingredients, but really it’s simple to put together, and you can do it in steps to make it even easier.  You can make the pasta and the dressing in advance and then throw it all together with the veggies when you’re ready.  Also, it is best to let the salad chill for at least several hours before serving to let the flavors all mix and mingle and amplify :).

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper & Potato Pasta Salad

(makes 10-12 servings)

• 1 box penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

• 1/2 cup plain unsweetened soymilk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium ripe avocado
• 3 tablespoons Healthy Solutions Chili/Taco Seasoning spice blend
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (if using jarred peppers, make sure to drain away the oils/juice first)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste 🙂

1. To make the dressing:   Combine the soymilk, salt, and apple cider vinegar in a food processor or blender.
2. With the food processor still going,  gradually pour in the olive oil in a slow steady stream through the spout on top (see pics at end of post).[to do this with a blender, add the oil through the hole in top of the blender lid while the blender is going]
3. Add the flesh of the avocado, chili seasoning spice blend, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, garlic and cayenne pepper and puree until combined and smooth.
4. The dressing can be used right away or refrigerated up to 5 days.
5. To prepare the veggies:  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the diced potatoes.  Turn down to medium and cook for 12 minutes.
6. Add the broccoli, peas, and sugar and cook together until the potatoes are just tender and easily pierced with a fork (approximately another 6-8 minutes) but aren’t falling apart. Remove from heat and strain.  Let cool completely. (can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several days at this point)
7. Chop and cut other veggies as indicated.
8. To assemble the salad: Combine the cooked pasta, all the veggies, and dressing in a large bowl and mix until all combined.  Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Chill a minimum of 3 hours for maximum flavor.