Balamb Pasta Salad

Balamb Gas Station“A country on the world’s smallest continent. Known for its temperate climate and warm people.”

—FFVIII Info Corner

  • 16 oz. whole-wheat fusilli pasta or brown rice pasta
  • 5 oz. baby kale
  • 3 tomatoes, washed and chopped
  • ½ red onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  • 6½ oz. pitted kalamata olives (1 12-oz. jar), drained and rinsed
  • 16 oz. tofu, cut into ½” cubes
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ½ tablespoon sea salt
  • ½ tablespoon red pepper flakes

Bring water to boil in a large soup pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Remove ¼ cup pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta into a colander.

Return pasta and the reserved pasta water to the pot. (The heat should be off; you’re just reusing the pot so you don’t have to get a bowl dirty.)

Add kale, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, olives, tofu, oil, lime juice, salt, and red pepper, and toss well to mix. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors combine.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 406 calories, 17.8 g. fat, 1.6 g. saturated fat, 0.8 g. poly. fat, 4.9 g. mono. fat, 823.1 mg. sodium, 186.2 mg. potassium, 49.7 g. carbohydrates, 8.4 g. fiber, 13.8 g. protein, vitamin A 28%, vitamin C 31%, calcium 14%, iron 20%