Boy oh boy, if you liked the Greenie Casserole hot dish, then you are gonna love this one! It is such a complete meal with all the necessary protein & carbs. It was my first experience working with Tofu, guess what, it tasted great. This would be nice to take on a picnic or to really impress someone. It’s a very colorful/pretty looking pasta salad.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Box Rainbow Pasta or Whole Wheat Pasta (precooked, slightly firm). Do not over cook, if too soggy, they’ll mush up when stirring later.
- 1 block Firm Tofu (remove from container & rinse it off).
- 1-2 cups Lima Beans (frozen).
- 1 cup Garbanzo Beans (canned & rinsed thoroughly).
- 2+ Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar (*see below for more info).
- 1/4 to 1/2 bottle of ‘Paul Newman’s Own Creamy Caesar Dressing’
(**see below for more info).Whatever vegetables you wish to add, I use the following:
- 1 medium Bell Pepper.
- 2 small Carrots.
- 1 medium Cucumber.
- 2 small Tomatoes.
- Spices: Italian Seasoning, Black Pepper, & Celery Salt (careful).
YOU WILL NEED A HUGE MIXING BOWL.
Preparation:
Dice up all the vegetables. I have one of those hand crank choppers, it’s a life saver!
For the more harder veggies like the bell pepper, carrots, & lima beans, I precook them slightly in the microwave (add a bit of water). Do not overcook, just cook enough keeping them slightly crisp (drain off liquid). Freeze cool them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
In the giant bowl, add cooled down cooked veggies & lima beans, then add all remaining veggies. Add cooled off/rinsed pasta, add tofu, & all the spices. Stir it all up. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, then serve. Enough to feed a small army or 2 Joe’s 
* When it comes to using Balsamic Vinegar, it can be deceiving. When you first pour it in, it smells & tastes like vinegar. After you mix everything up & the dish sits for a bit, it begins to take on it’s nutty flavor (what it’s known for). You definitely want to add to taste, I happen to use quite a bit.
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