Pasta Salad 1 I took my son by his Grandmother today so that I can run a few errands and go to the dentist.   Little did I know that there was a major tornado and thunderstorm watch in my area and most of Metro Atlanta.  PastaSalad-1Despite watching the news I somehow wasn’t aware of the severity of what was expected to transpire for most of the day.    A couple of minutes after I returned home, Mr. Jehancancook informed me of the weather and I immediately cancelled my appointment and was headed out the door to get my son when it dawned on me that it’s better for him to be indoors at Grandma than to be in a car on the interstate.  PastaSalad2

So I decided to stay put and boy did I make the right decision.    The rain came out of nowhere and pounded everything in its path and was very scary at times.   Despite this we were lucky as some areas in Georgia were heavily hit with tornados, heavy winds and rains which resulted in cars flipping on the highways and homes being demolished.

While it rained I decided to pass the time and take my mind off of the scary and blog.  So here I am blogging away in the midst of a storm. PastaSalad4

Now on to this salad; I’ve made this pasta salad in the past and have received nothing but rave reviews.  It’s as simple as it gets but pretty darn good.   To make this a complete meal, add roasted salmon or shrimp.   I’m all for dishes that are simple, quick and delicious.    If you’re a bit intimidated by the chipotle pepper, don’t be, my one year old ate this with no complaints.   The chipotle pepper adds a smoky flavor without much heat.  Enjoy!

PastaSalad-1-5

Chipotle Pasta Salad

Recipe Type: Side Dish
Author: Jehan P
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 16 oz Pasta such as penne, bowtie, radiatore
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
  • 2 whole avocados
  • About 2 tbsp caper, chopped
  • About 2-3 tbsp chopped chives
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • Juice of 1 lime + juice of 1/2 lime to toss avocado
  • 1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo (canned)
  • 1 ½ tbsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing, place the mayonnaise, juice of 1 lime, chipotle pepper, sugar, salt and black pepper in a blender or food processer and blend until smooth.
  2. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package then cool.
  3. In a large bowl add pasta, capers. chipotle dressing and grape tomatoes and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  4. Add chopped avocado and chives when ready to serve.
  5. *Toss avocados in lime juice before adding to pasta to prevent browning.

 

Become a fan on Facebook and follow me on Instagram @Jehancancook for updates in between posts!