Whew. This is salad number 5 of the recipes my sister and I were playing with last week. Whittling away at the piles of ingredients we purchased, I'm down to a few simple ingredients. We've managed to confuse ourselves between a couple of the recipes. Nothing appears as the recipes opened in books before us and this salad is no different. I stare at a photo of farfalle (bowtie) pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

I'm using a corn and rice pasta shaped like my daughter's ears minus the 3 piercings. I'm not thrilled about that issue but the pasta tastes great. Again, these gluten-free pastas don't get better overnight in the refrigerator. In fact, make the pasta just before serving unless you use traditional pasta. It is way, way better.

I taste roasted broccoli rabe earlier in the week and enjoy the bitterness. It's a good alternative to spinach. Sticking with only the pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes afraid of heading down my Mediterranean Pasta Salad route again.

There are only a few ingredients in this salad, none a vinegar. Fresh oregano, olive oil, chopped chili pepper and garlic offer a flavor profile. A sprinkle of balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice before serving is a good idea to give the salad some pop. It's simple, uncomplicated and I like it. A great salad to play wingman to the main entree.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound gluten-free or regular pasta
• 3 scallions, cut on the bias
• 1 3/4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips
• 1 pound broccoli rabe
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil + more for roasting broccoli rabe
• 1 teaspoon fresh chopped chili, or to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Steps:

Boil the pasta as per manufacturer's directions until just tender. Drain, rinse in cool water, drain and put into a bowl. Toss a little olive oil into the pasta and toss. Set aside. If using gluten-free, make the pasta the day you are using it otherwise it will get gritty.

Put the pine nuts into a small saute pan over a medium high heat. Toast until light golden brown. Remove from the heat and add to the pasta.

Wash and check the broccoli rabe. Lay in single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the broccoli  rabe in a hot, 375' F oven until wilted and tender. Set aside to cool then cut in half across the stalks. Add to the pasta.

Prep the sun-dried tomatoes and oregano and add to pasta. Make the dressing by combining the remaining the ingredients. Whisk to mix well. Add to the pasta and vegetables and toss. Adjust seasoning, add a dash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice if desired. Serve at room temperature.

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