The Personal and Professional Development Committee holds events throughout the year such as speed networking events, finance seminars, 101 workshops, book club and more to get HYPEsters involved in hands-on activities. The HYPE Homemade blog series aims to bring the "hands-on" aspect of the events into your home, through a monthly cooking blog! Committee members will share recipes they enjoy, from grandma's special recipe passed down through generations, to cookbook favorites, to meals they've created!

Our September recipe comes from Janet Vamos and is an easy recipe that is flexible with ingredients- and it's vegan! Make sure to let us know in the blog comments if you tried the recipe!

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Credit:Vegan Heaven

Level of Difficulty:  2 out of 5 
 
Tools Required: large pot, measuring cup, measuring spoons, cutting board, large knife, strainer, 1 small bowl, mixing spoon, 1 large bowl or container for serving

Time Required: Prep – 20 minutes, Cook – 10 minutes, Chill – 2 hours (optional)

About the recipe: There are so many things I love about this recipe! It’s very simple to make and is easily customizable – the ingredient list is simply a guide; you can use as much or as little of any item as you would like, which makes it a great way to incorporate whatever you have on hand in your kitchen or whatever appeals to your personal taste. For example, I find the agave to be too sweet, so I tend to leave that ingredient out, in favor of a spicier dish. Don’t read the word “vegan” and think this pasta salad isn’t for you – I am not a practicing vegan (and, let’s be honest, not even a healthy eater), but this pasta salad contains so much flavor and substance that I found myself reaching for a second helping! Leave a comment letting us know any creative spins you’ve added to this colorful dish and, most of all, enjoy!

Ingredients list:
Pasta Salad:                                          

1 box (12 oz) farfalle pasta

1 can (16 oz) black beans

1 can (12 oz) corn

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 orange bell pepper

1 avocado

3 green onions

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Dressing:                                                         
2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 splash agave

1 tablespoon water

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 fresh lime

black pepper

salt

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, cook the farfalle pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.  

2. On your cutting board, prepare the ingredients that need to be chopped. This includes cutting the cherry tomatoes in half, coring and seeding the bell pepper and cutting it into strips, pitting, peeling, and cutting the avocado into manageable chunks, slicing the green onion into rings, and chopping the cilantro. 

3. Drain the can of black beans and the can of corn. 

4. Add all of the ingredients from step 2 and step 3 into your large pot of pasta. Combine well.

5. In a small bowl, make your dressing by mixing the olive oil, cumin, paprika, vinegar, agave, water and minced garlic. Squeeze in the juice from half of the lime. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Add the dressing to your pasta salad and toss well. Transfer to a large bowl and serve, or chill for a few hours to let the flavors soak in!