One thing that’s pretty much guaranteed in my house is that I’ll always have a container of leftover pasta in my fridge. This is one of the best ways to use it up the next day, because you can mix and match whatever pasta shapes and sizes you want. When I make pasta salad, I like to keep the pasta-to-salad ratio 50/50, so there are equal amounts of crunchy, flavorful veg to pair with the curly pasta shapes. The cottage cheese dressing gives it a creamy taste (with a ranchy zing from dill and chives) without mayonnaise, plus added protein.
Ingredients
1 bunch baby bok choy
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 red pepper
4 Persian cucumbers
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups leftover pasta (whatever you have—doesn't matter what shape you use)
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1/4" pieces
For the dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup spinach
1/4 cup chives
1/4 cup freshparsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onionpowder
Directions
Chop the bok choy and romaine into thin pieces and place in a large bowl.
Cut the red pepper, cucumbers, and tomatoes into pieces all about the same size. Add them to the bowl.
Add the pasta and scallions to the bowl.
Make the dressing. Add all the ingredients to a blender in the order listed (so the liquid is at the bottom).
Pulse until smooth and everything is incorporated. Don't overblend, or it can break.
Pour the dressing into the bowl with the pasta and veggies and mix well so everything is evenly covered. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
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