Pasta with White Beans and Arugula

 Wonderfully appetizing Pasta Salad with White Beans and Arugula. Sorry to say it’s the only photo I took.

Spring has arrived and daylight is getting longer! More and more hours are being spent in the yard getting my garden ready for plantings. I really love the change of seasons. The warmth of the sun shining down, bringing to life all the plants that have laid dormant all winter long. After being outdoors working all day, I am looking for easy meals to make. That’s where this salad fits in. One of my favorite new salads, it's from Southern Living Magazine. I made this amazing salad for a lunch with my girlfriends last week. I served it with a Tomato Tart. The salad received rave reviews from all! This meal was easy to prepare ahead of time. The Tomato Tart is made with frozen puff pastry and is easy to assemble. The salad is served at room temperature so, I made it an hour before I was going to serve it. I love white beans…they always add great texture and taste to any dish. They’re essential for tossing into pasta, salads and soups. They also make great dips and spreads!  So while my friends enjoyed some ice tea and chatted, I put everything on the table and then joined in. It’s always fun to have a nice meal with friends but, it’s even nicer to be able to enjoy the company.

I posted this Tomato Tart in February…scrumptious! I added the link above.

Pasta With White Beans and Arugula                                                   

YIELD: Makes 8 servings
COOK TIME:15 Minutes
PREP TIME:15 Minutes
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients:

1 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 (19-oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8.5-oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes with herbs in oil, drained and chopped
1 (5-oz.) package fresh arugula, thoroughly washed
1 (4-oz.) package crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt


Preparation:

•  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. 
• Stir together beans and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the hot cooked pasta until blended.                                                                      
• To change things up a bit try….Pasta With Chickpeas, Tuna, and Arugula: Substitute 1 (16-oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, for cannellini beans. Stir in 3 (5-oz.) cans solid white tuna in water, drained.

      Southern Living AUGUST 2009