Pesto + Arugula Salad

While romaine is still Public Enemy #1, arugula has quickly become my new favorite lettuce. I had been craving a pasta salad (but not the covered in mayo, deli special kind), and came up with this satisfying concoction. This salad is so easy, simple, and delicious – only five ingredients and minimal effort required. In fact, I didn’t need to grocery shop to prep for this dish, because I had all of the ingredients in my pantry already. I used DeCecco penne pasta, Stonewall Kitchen basil pesto, Pastene roasted red peppers, and some shredded Asiago cheese. You can certainly use your imagination if you don’t have one or two of these ingredients. A balsamic vinaigrette in place of  the pesto, maybe mozzarella pearls or crumbled feta instead of Asiago. This salad is quickly becoming one of my favorite lunches – just enough carbs, just enough greens, and packed with lots of flavor.