Barbie-Inspired Rotini Beet Pasta Salad
Grated raw beet gives this stunning rotini salad a vibrant pink hue, and the creamy yogurt dressing adds a zesty flavour that balances nicely with the sweet, earthy beet.
Serves: 6
Calories: 350kcal
Ingredients
- 450 g Italpasta Rotini
- 2 Persian-style (mini) cucumbers, grated
- 1 medium beet (raw), grated
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 cups plain 3.25% Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped and divided
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped and divided
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped and divided
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
- Cook rotini according to package directions. Drain and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, squeeze out excess moisture from cucumbers and transfer to large bowl. Add beet (do not remove excess moisture; you want the beet to bleed its vibrant pink colour), oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, jalapeño (if using), salt and pepper. Stir in yogurt until combined. Fold in half the chives, half the dill and half the parsley.
- Toss rotini with beet dressing until well coated. Garnish with feta, pine nuts, remaining chives, remaining dill and remaining parsley.
Video
Tips
Tips: Substitute pine nuts with chopped toasted pistachios, hazelnuts or almonds.
Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
For a thicker dressing, use labneh, also known as yogurt cheese. To make your own, strain 2 ¼ cups Greek yogurt through fine-mesh sieve over a bowl for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator; discard excess moisture and add strained labneh to beet smoothies.
Nutritional Analysis
Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 430mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g