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Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad with Chickpeas

Jarred roasted peppers bring flavor without another roasting job. A little of the pepper becomes part of the dressing, while chickpeas and celery give the pasta a firm, crunchy contrast.

Fusilli and chickpea salad with roasted red pepper and celery in a glass dish
Makes
4 side portions, about 1 cup each
Preparation
About 15 minutes
Cooking or chilling
About 10 minutes boiling, plus at least 1 hour chilling
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Get everything ready

Ingredients

4 side portions, about 1 cup each

What you need

Saucepan, colander, small blender or knife, shallow container and refrigerator.

Time to cook

Method

  1. Cook and drain

    Cook the pasta in boiling water according to the package until tender. Drain and rinse briefly under cold running water, then drain very well.

  2. Make the pepper dressing

    Blend or very finely chop ¼ cup of the peppers. Mix with oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Chop the remaining ½ cup peppers into bite size pieces.

  3. Dress the salad

    Fold the pasta, chickpeas, chopped peppers, celery and parsley into the dressing. Transfer to a shallow container and refrigerate promptly. Chill at 40°F or below for at least 1 hour and until cold throughout.

  4. Stir before serving

    The pasta will absorb some dressing as it chills. Stir well and divide into four side portions. Pack any portion for later in a cold container with an ice pack rather than leaving it at room temperature.

Before you make it

Pack only safely chilled food

A lunch bag does not cool a warm salad quickly. Start with the salad cold and keep it cold until eating.

Measure the role

This makes four sides. Two larger lunch bowls are possible, but the planner does not automatically treat those bowls as four main meals.

Cooking times and serving counts are estimates. The planner rounds up to complete batches. When you multiply a batch, use additional pans or cook in stages rather than crowding the food.

Choose the setup

Read the cold food checklist and container guidance.

Serving and leftovers

Keep cold food at 40°F or below and hot food at 140°F or above. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Use a food thermometer for meat rather than relying on color.

Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Use or freeze refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. When a new dish uses previously cooked food, count from the oldest cooked component rather than starting the clock again.

USDA food handling guidance covers cooking temperatures, holding food, and refrigeration.

See USDA leftovers guidance for cooling, storage and reheating.