High Protein Garlickly Caesar Pasta (Or Potato) Salad

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 bulb garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

12 ounces pasta (rotini, fusilli, or penne work best) (340g)

*****Try potatoes instead of the pasta*****

1 teaspoon salt, (for the pasta water)

4 cups chopped kale (stems removed (100g)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of ½ lemon

½ teaspoon salt, (more or less to taste)

Roasted garlic, (from above)

⅓ cup vegan mayo

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon capers, (optional but recommended)

½ teaspoon salt, (more or less to taste)

¼ teaspoon black pepper, (more or less to taste)

2-4 tablespoons reserved pasta water (to thin)

15 ounces canned white beans, (drained and rinsed (cannellini or great northern, chick peas also work) (425g)

¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (20g)

⅓ cup toasted breadcrumbs or croutons

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, (more or less to taste)

Directions

For Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

Slice the top off the bulb of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and wrap loosely in foil. Bake for 30-35 minute until soft, golden, and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water (1 tsp salt) to a boil. Cook 12 ounces pasta according to package instructions until al dente. When done, remove one cup of pasta water and set aside. Then drain remaining water and briefly run with cool water to stop the steaming process.

Kale

Add 4 cups kale to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, juice from 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 tsp salt. Massage for 1-2 minutes until softer and darker in color.

For the Caesar dressing

Squeeze all the roasted garlic cloves into a blender or bowl. Add 1/3 vegan mayo, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, juice from 1 lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp each dijon mustard, capers (if adding), and salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Blend or whisk until smooth. If needed, add 2-4 tbsp reserved pasta water gradually until creamy but pourable.

Build the Salad

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, massaged kale, white beans, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Pour on dressing as desired and then toss to coat.

If adding, top with toasted breadcrumbs or croutons, nutritional yeast, black pepper, if needed.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 322 kcal
• Total Fat: 11 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
• Sodium: 781 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 44 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6 g
• Total Sugars: 1 g
• Protein: 11 g