½ pound brown rice penne pasta or pasta or grain of your choice
¼ cup ricotta salata, crumbled or cubed
¼ cup dried cranberries, sun dried tomatoes, or other dried fruit
2 radishes, sliced thin
4 basil leaves, chopped
¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Squeeze lemon (optional)
Tofu or protein of your choice (optional)
For the Dijon Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup champaign or white wine vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the Brussels sprouts in half and arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil & balsamic and toss with a few pinches of salt & pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they’re brown and crispy, but not burned.
Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse, and set aside.
Make the dressing: Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and honey and season with pinches of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. If you like it more mustard-y, add more mustard. If it’s too tart, add a bit more honey or other sweetener.
Assemble the salad with the roasted Brussels sprouts, cooked pasta, ricotta, cranberries, radishes, basil, and protein, if using. Toss with as much or as little of the dressing as you like. Taste again and adjust seasonings. I added a squeeze of lemon over top for extra brightness.
Add the toasted pumpkin seeds on top at the end so they stay crunchy.
Recipe by Love and Lemons at https://www.loveandlemons.com/?p=2107