Salad with Spinach, Ham, Avocado and Pasta
Preparation and cooking time: 25 minutes
This is a Spinach Salad rather than a Pasta Salad. There is just a bit of pasta added for texture and to finish the meal. Use a thick slice of ham, either Prosciutto-type, or regular deli-ham.
Ingredients:
- 8oz ham, cooked, 230gr, 8.1oz
- 1 avocado, 170gr, 6oz
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, 90gr, 3.2oz
- 6oz fresh spinach, 170gr, 6oz
- 1 tbs fresh snipped chives
- 1 tbs marjoram or oregano leaves
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, cheddar, 60gr, 2.2oz
- 3/4 cup dry, bite-size pasta, 68gr, 2.4oz
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard, 15gr, .53oz
- 2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar, 30gr, 1oz
- 1 - 2 tbs Greek yogurt, 37.5gr, 1.3oz
- 4 - 5 tbs good olive oil, 54gr, 1.9oz
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Make Vinaigrette:
- Place mustard, vinegar and yogurt, in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Slow add olive oil, whisking constantly, to combine. It should be thick and emulsified when finished.
- Slice ham into large strips.
- Sauté the ham if you like, set aside.
- Wash spinach if needed and spin dry. Sort through the spinach, discarding any damaged leaves, cutting the large leaves in half.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
- Cut avocado, slice it thickly, then cut into chunks.
- Snip/strip herbs.
- When pasta is done, drain but don't shake every last bit of water off.
- To assemble salad:
- Put spinach into a large bowl. Add hot, drained pasta and toss lightly to combine. (Tongs work best.)
- Add half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
- Add the ham, avocado, herbs and tomatoes, toss lightly.
- Taste and adjust vinaigrette, adding more if you like.
- Sprinkle with cheese and serve, any remaining vinaigrette on the side.
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Nutrition Information
Recipe serves 2
Entire Recipe / per serving
Calories: 1722 / 861
Total Carbohydrates: 82 / 41
Dietary Fiber: 24 / 12
Total Fat: 126 / 63
Saturated Fat: 33 / 16.5
Cholesterol: 202 / 101
Protein: 72 / 36
Calcium: 782 / 391
Sodium: 3698 / 1849
General Technical Details and Disclaimer:
Measurements in this color are actual measurements used for calculation. If there are no values the nutritional numbers were simply too small.
I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it. I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.
My information comes from my own digital, computerized scale
and the USDA Nutrient Data Library: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
