Zesty Artichoke Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese
Summer grilling season upon is us and this zesty artichoke pasta salad is a fun twist on a classic side dish! It's a perfect thing to tote along to a concert in a park, a potluck with friends, or to just eat on its own as a hearty meatless main. With goat cheese, arugula, olives, roasted red peppers and crunchy pistachios, and drizzled with a lemony cumin dressing, this pasta salad is loaded with flavor and texture.
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 small artichokes no bigger than a baseball
- 1 lemon
- 1 pound dried pasta gluten free
- 2 handfuls arugula
- 1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers drained and sliced
- 1 2.25 oz can sliced olives
- 4 oz goat cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup toasted pistachios
- salt & pepper to taste
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 1 1/2 lemons
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Artichokes
- Use a serrated knife to remove the spiky crown and stem of the artichoke. Put artichokes on the rack of an instant pot. Squeeze lemon juice over them (to prevent browning), and pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pot. Seal pot, close valve, and set to high pressure for 9 minutes. Do a quick release of the steam.
- When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, peel off all outer leaves, until you get to the tender center leaves. It may be necessary to trim off the tops of the leaves a bit more to remove any tough portions. Reserve the outer leaves for a snack (I like to dip them in melted butter or plain mayo). Cut artichokes in half, and using a paring knife, carefully cut out the fuzzy center choke. Cut artichokes into quarters. They are now ready to be added to the pasta salad.
For the Pasta Salad
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prep the dressing.
- Put the lemon juice, olive oil, shallot, honey, and cumin in a jar, seal the lid and shake vigorously to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- When pasta is cooked, drain and add to a large salad bowl. Toss with half of the dressing and let cool at room temp for about 10 minutes. Add the arugula, red peppers, goat cheese, olives, and pistachios and toss to combine. Top with reserved artichokes and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Toss thoroughly to coat evenly. Taste again for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve at room temperature or cold. Keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Notes
If you don't have or don't wish to use an instant pot, artichokes can be steamed in a basket over simmering water for 35-45 minutes or until the outer leaves are tender and can be easily peeled and the stem end of the artichoke can be easily pierced with a knife.
Don't have time to cook artichokes from scratch? No problem, simply sub them for a 14 oz. can of quartered artichoke hearts (drained).
Nutrition
Serving: 1portionCalories: 382kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 12gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 936mgPotassium: 479mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 730IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 3mg
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