This might be the best of the Zombea pasta salads. This is also my 100th post for alla Poppy!
1 bunch asparagus
1 cup slivered almonds
12 oz whole wheat gemelli
1 can black beans
2-3 shallots
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp spicy mustard
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Trim, wash, and cut asparagus into bite-size pieces. Thinly slice shallots into slivers. Toss the asparagus, shallots, and slivered almonds on a cookie sheet with just a tiny bit of olive oil and salt. Roast until asparagus is spotted golden brown, stirring around after five minutes and about ten minutes total. (This depends on the thickness of the asparagus, if you're using thicker asparagus it will take longer & you might want to add the almonds halfway through roasting to keep them from burning.)
Bring water to a boil for the pasta, dump in the pasta & cook until al dente, about five minutes or according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, rinse and drain the black beans. Drain the pasta right over the black beans in the colander, and let it all cool.
Measure the rice wine vinegar into a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper, then whisk in olive oil, then mustard. Stir everything together and serve.
Good on its own, or on a green salad.
Per 1/6 recipe, probably around 350 calories. Per 1/8 recipe on green salad, probably around 300 calories.
