Summer Pasta...Fresh Veggies, Easy Homemade Vinaigrette, and a Punch of Protein!!!

I love Summer Pasta Salads! Fresh herbs & veggies are the BEST this time of year. 

The Southern Living July issue has some really yummy looking options.

Penne with Green Beans and Tomatoes Covered in a Homemade Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette.
I added a punch of protein with Tuna!

Mincing a Shallot.

Whole-grain Dijon was on the grocery list. This country
Dijon is the same thing. Found it on sale at Publix!

Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette:

Stir together 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 minced shallot; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 Tbsp honey (one of my favorite ingredients!), and whole grain Dijon mustard (*see my note above). Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week. 

This is a BPA-Free Dressing Container I found at Publix. I only used 3/4 of this for this recipe, so there is plenty for other salads throughout the week.

Penne with Green Beans & Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 (16oz) pkg of whole wheat penne

1 (8oz) pkg of haricots verts (aka- French green beans)

1 pt. grape tomatoes

3/4 cup Lemon- Shallot Vinaigrette

1/4 cup chopped dill

Pre-cut and cleaned haricots verts can be found in the fresh steam-in-bag section of Publix.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Add green beans to boiling water during the last 2 minutes of cooking time, drain.

Rinse pasta mixture under cold running water until cool, drain.

Toss together pasta mixture, tomatoes and vinaigrette.

*This is where I added 2 cans of tuna. Drain tuna and toss in the pasta mixture.

Cover and chill up to 24 hours, if desired. 

Just before serving, stir in dill, and add salt and pepper to taste.

It looks so pretty in my Mickey Mouse Pasta Bowl.

We enjoyed this pasta with a bright Sauvignon Blanc, but a Pinot Grigio would be a good choice too!

Summer is my favorite time of year! 

La Bonne Vie Y'all!