Asian Inspired Pasta Salad

This recipe was given to me on Valentines day from a very wonderful person. I was invited over for a Valentines day luncheon and this was on the menu. I was instantly in love when I ate it, so I am sharing it with you.

It is the Asian Inspired Pasta Salad

Here is the recipe:

1 box of bow tie pasta, cooked      **I only used about half a bag

1/4 bag of fresh spinach

1/2 bag of bean sprouts

1/2 can of water chestnuts, chopped and sliced

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 1/2 Tbsp of sesame seeds  (she gave me the tip that if you go to the Mexican section of Walmart you will find sesame seeds in bags and they are about a third cheaper then if you were to buy them from the same store in the spice section.)

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 bag of edamame beans, the beans taken out

1/2 red and yellow peppers

1 cup cooked, cut up chicken

**Most of these are approximate. You can add more or less

Dressing:

1/2 cup of oil  (I used about half of this because I could feel my arteries clogging while I poured this)

1/2 cup of sugar

3 Tbsp of rice vinegar

4 Tbsp of soy sauce

1/2 tsp of sesame oil

salt and pepper

First you go to the cupboard and find what you have.

Then have your fabulous sister run to the store because Mr. I was napping and buy the rest of the ingredients.

Lay them all out in front of you

While the pasta is cooking, shell your edamame, shred your carrots, cut your water chestnuts and peppers, and mix everything together for the salad, minus the spinach.

Then mix the dressing together.

Drain your pasta.

Lay everything out in front of you.



Then grab that fabulous bowl you bought at a garage sale for 4.00 to mix everything into.

Step back and admire.

And maybe salivate a little. Delicious.

Then of course, dish it up and enjoy! (and maybe share)

 

Look at those colors! What an amazing salad to have on this lovely 40 degree weather we are having in Minnesota in February! Makes me think of spring!

So let's talk numbers:

$0.70 (clearance at Rainbow)1 box of bow tie pasta, cooked     

$1.99 (Aldi's) 1/4 bag of fresh spinach

$1.39 (Cub Foods) 1/2 bag of bean sprouts

$1.00 (Cub Foods) 1/2 can of water chestnuts, chopped and sliced

$1.00 (Cub Foods) 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

$0.93 (Walmart, although I had some on hand) 1 1/2 Tbsp of sesame seeds 

(I had a bag in the fridge from a while ago) 1/2 cup shredded carrot

$1.99 (Aldi's) 1/2 bag of edamame beans, the beans taken out

(I had them in the fridge) 1/2 red and yellow peppers

Free (bought from Rainbow) 1 cup cooked, cut up chicken (I used two cans of chicken)

Dressing:

(I had some on hand) 1/2 cup of oil 

(I had sugar on hand as well) 1/2 cup of sugar

$3.09 (Cub Foods) 3 Tbsp of rice vinegar

(Had some on hand) 4 Tbsp of soy sauce

(I purchased mine a while ago to make some amazing pot stickers but I think this runs a couple of bucks) 1/2 tsp of sesame oil

(I would hope I had this on hand) salt and pepper



Grand Total: $12.09 for the salad and the batch that I made up was half so $6.00 for the whole bowl you see up above.

Per serving: I would say this makes 6-8 servings (8 if you aren't like me and eat a heaping bowl for one serving!) that would be anywhere from $1.00 - $0.75 per serving.

Trust me, this salad is a meal in it's self so for a whole meal, I spent $1.00! Whoo Hoo! Much better then stopping at a fast food place and picking up a value meal (which I was tempted to do).

So what do you think? A deal, or no?!