Pasta Salad

A good summer dish.

• 1 lb short pasta (spirals or shells)
  
• 3 small, narrow cucumbers (seedless)
• 1/2 large carrot
• tomatoes (yellow cherry tomatoes best for color variety, but red will do too)
  
• red onion, chopped
• red bell pepper
  
• spiced tofu gan
  
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• fresh garlic, grated
• fresh ginger, grated
• lime juice
• black pepper
• cilantro, chopped
  

1. Boil the pasta. Drain well. Put in large bowl. Let cool.
2. In a small jar, combine oil and vinegar in a 1:3 ratio or to taste. Add garlic, ginger, black pepper, lime juice and any other seasoning. Shake well. Pour over pasta and mix.
3. Score the sides of the cucumbers with a fork. Cut lengthwise in quarters. Slice. (In the picture, the cukes on the left have been scored and to me, look fancier than the plain ones on the right.)
   
4. Cut carrot into short matchsticks.
5. Seed and chop tomatoes.
6. Chop onion.
7. Cut capsicum into small pieces.
8. Cut tofu gan in half. Slice into small pieces.
9. Add all chopped items to pasta and stir well.
   
10. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
    

Variations

• pine nuts
• olives
• cheese (grated or feta)