Three Bean Pasta

This cold pasta salad gets its heft from three different beans: canned kidney beans, chickpeas, and thawed green beans, all tossed with egg noodles and a sharp Dijon vinaigrette. It’s a potluck workhorse that travels well and actually tastes better after it sits.

The dressing is simple but punchy. Three tablespoons of Dijon mustard gives it real bite, red wine vinegar adds acidity, and a little vegetable oil smooths it all out. Chopped fresh parsley keeps things bright. The key is tossing the dressing with the pasta while everything is still slightly cool from the cold rinse, so the noodles absorb flavor instead of just wearing it.

Red onion and chopped red bell pepper add crunch and color against the soft beans and noodles. Use a small onion and dice it fine so you get flavor in every forkful without overpowering bites of raw onion.

Chef Tips

• Rinse the pasta in cold water thoroughly. This stops the cooking and washes off excess starch that would make the salad gummy.
• Drain the canned beans well. Rinse them too. The canning liquid is starchy and salty, and it dilutes your dressing.
• Make it ahead. This salad improves after a few hours in the fridge as the flavors meld. Give it a stir and taste for seasoning before serving since cold food often needs a splash more vinegar or a pinch of salt.

Variations

• Mediterranean twist: Add halved kalamata olives and crumbled feta, and swap the vegetable oil for olive oil.
• Southwestern version: Use black beans instead of kidney beans, add corn kernels, and stir in a squeeze of lime and a pinch of cumin.