GORGONZOLA-PEPPER PASTA SALAD

Gorgonzola-Pepper Pasta Salad image

Cold penne pasta tossed with three colors of raw bell peppers, gorgonzola, walnuts, and wilted spinach in champagne-honey-walnut vinaigrette. A delicious dinner entree.

Provided by POPINKI

Categories Salad Pasta Salad Vegetarian Pasta Salad Recipes

Time 1h32m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite size pieces
1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup walnut oil
⅓ cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts

Steps:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil, then refrigerate for 1 hour, or until cool.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook spinach until wilted. In a large bowl, combine spinach, green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper and cooled pasta. Whisk together 1/2 cup canola oil, walnut oil, vinegar and honey. Pour vinaigrette over pasta mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle top with gorgonzola and chopped walnuts.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 676.9 calories, Carbohydrate 49.8 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Fat 45.9 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 19 g, SaturatedFat 10.5 g, Sodium 434.6 mg, Sugar 7.4 g