Author Notes
This recipe comes from my mother-in-law who used to make it all the time for her husband. I had it one of the first times that I met my husband's family and fell it love with it (and them too!). We love it so much I even requested that my MIL make it for our rehearsal dinner BBQ. We make it as soon as green beans start appearing at our farmer's market and continue to make it all summer long. This colorful and crisp salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks and summer suppers on the patio. —TaraT
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Ingredients
- For the dressing
-
2/3 cup
olive oil
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1 tablespoon
white wine vinegar
-
1-2 tablespoons
dijon or stoneground mustard
-
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground pepper
-
2
cloves of garlic, minced
- For the salad
-
1
pound penne pasta, cooked and cooled
-
3/4-1 pounds
Steamed, cold green beans
-
1
can water chestnuts, drained
-
1
can black olives
-
1 cup
cherry tomatoes
-
1
sliced red bell pepper
-
1 handful
basil leaves, rolled and thinly sliced
-
1 cup
bleu cheese
Directions
-
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic.
-
While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Set aside.
-
Steam the green beans until they are crisp tender. Set aside to cool.
-
Meanwhile, cook and cool the pasta according to the directions on the package.
-
Add the green beans, tomatoes, sliced bell pepper, olives, cheese and water chestnuts to the pasta in a large bowl.
-
Pour on the dressing and stir gently to combine. Eat immediately or put in the fridge. The salad will be delicious for a leftover lunch if it's not gobbled up at your picnic!
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