Warm Artichoke Pasta Salad

I've fallen into the nasty habit of not making very many posts about light meals. That's the pitfall of the 50 Country Challenge--most everything is very fat bastardy (delicious, of course, but not good for you). Because I am getting married this weekend and am hoping to not bloat up too much with stress eating, I thought a calorically light vegan dinner was in order.

This is SO tasty. It's filling, healthy, and has a distinctive olive oil flavor mixed in with the lemon and mustard. Plus, it would be great to serve any of your vegan friends! They will love you for it.



Warm Artichoke Pasta Salad (modified from Cooking Light's "Warm Pasta Salad with Shrimp")
-3 cups uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
-1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-Cooking spray
-1 14oz can marinated artichoke quarters, drained
-1 10oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
-1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (I imagine any white bean would do)
-1/4 cup minced red onion

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Combine juice, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in salt and pepper.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Saute red onion until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. Add artichokes to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until warmed. Stir in spinach and beans; toss to combine and let cook a minute or two on low, until warmed. Add the pasta and juice mixture to artichoke mixture; toss and serve.

Calories: 487 (roughly thereabout, given the recipe originally had shrimp in it, not artichokes)