Recipe - Baby Shell Pasta Salad With Calamata Olives Roasted Fennel

SALAD
1 pound Small pasta shells; uncooked
1 One half cup Fennel bulb; cut in half
lengthwise
1 lg Sweet onion; cut or sliced up 1/2inch
thick
2 teaspoon Olive or vegetable oil
1 cup Plum tomatoes; minced
Three fourths cup Calamata olives; cut or sliced up
One half cup Fresh assorted herb leaves;
finely chopped (such as
basil, dill or parsley)

DRESSING
2 Garlic cloves; unpeeled
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup Olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoon Barbecue sauce
2 tablespoon Lime juice
Shredded Romano cheese
Crushed red chili peppers

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold
water, set aside. Heat oven to 375° F. Toss garlic for dressing, fennel and
onion with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast in
oven until lightly browned and tender, approximately 2030 minutes. Set
aside fennel and onion. In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, barbecue
sauce and lime juice in a bowl. Squeeze garlic out of its peel, dice and
whisk into dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dice onion,
fennel and tomatoes and add to pasta. Add olives, herbs, and dressing and
toss. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. To serve, sprinkle with Romano
cheese and crushed red chili peppers. Each side dish serving provides: 209
Calories; 4.8 g Protein; 29 g Carbohydrates; 8.4 g Fat; 0 mg Cholesterol;
103 mg Sodium. Each main dish serving provides: 358 Calories; 8.2 g
Protein; 50 g Carbohydrates; 14.4 g Fat; 0 mg Cholesterol; 177 mg Sodium.
Calories from Fat: 36%

Serves 12 as a side dish or 68 as a main dish
Posted to recipeludigest Volume 01 Number 451 by "Bunny"
layla696@ix.netcom.com on Jan 4, 1998