Arugula Pasta Salad with Blue Cheese, Pecans

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This salad would make a great potluck dish or add chicken and it would easily be a filling dinner. This Arugula Pasta Salad combines spicy arugula with blue cheese and crunchy walnuts to make for a party in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

6 ounces cooked pasta, such as bow tie or farfalle

2 Cups Arugula (preferably baby leaves, stems removed)
Trader Joe’s sells a bag of arugula for about $2

1 Cup Grape tomatoes

2 Tablespoons chives, chopped finely

2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
I used pecans

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (extra virgin)

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 Tablespoon blue cheese, crumbled

 HOW TO PREPARE

1.) Cook pasta according to instructions on package. Before draining, set aside 1 Tablespoon of pasta water. Drain noodles, pour into a bowl and mix in your arugula leaves while pasta is still hot. Cover. This lightly steams your arugula leaves!

2.) Toast chopped walnuts over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Set aside.

3.) Make your dressing – whisk together white wine vinegar, oil, reserved pasta water, salt and pepper.

4.) Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Sprinkle with nuts and blue cheese.

5.) Add chicken to make this meal more substantial.

This salad recipe was sent in from Jill as part of our Soup and Salad recipe series! Since I am featuring it on the blog, Jill gets a $10 Amazon gift card!

You might also like:

• Leftover Turkey Chowder recipe (it uses leftover mashed potatoes, too!)
• Curried Corn & Cheddar Chowder recipe
• Spicy Asian Noodle Soup 
• Quinoa Lemon Salad
• Winter Bok Choy Slaw
• New Waldorf Salad with Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette

Do you have a favorite soup or salad? Send it in! You could get a $10 Amazon gift card if I feature your recipe!