Marinated Whole Wheat Pasta and Vegetable Salad

I posted the recipe for this dish in May of 2006, not long after I first started blogging, in 2005.  For years it was a staple dish in my kitchen, and then as so often happens it fell by the wayside and I forgot about it.

And then I was looking for something to make for a mint and parsley themed potluck for my spice group and it popped into my head.

I am not a fan of those pasta salads that involve lots of mayonnaise and cubed cheese.  I liked the idea of this dish when I first ran across it because it features more healthful options.

You can find the recipe here in my original post.  The only difference this time is that the farmer's market did not have the broccoli that usually goes in this salad but they had kalettes, a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts.  I was pretty sure they would work just as well and indeed they did.

The other difference is that because it was a parsley and mint potluck I added some mint to the oregano and basil for the vinaigrette.

This dish is best if made ahead so the flavors have time to combine, which gives you plenty of time to plan ahead.  You do not have to use whole wheat pasta, but in my opinion it stays firmer in these kinds of dishes than regular pasta does.