Minestrone Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus trimmed cut into 1-inch pieces
• 12 ounces baby potatoes red
• 15.5 ounce cannellini beans drained and rinsed canned ()
• 8 ounces green beans cut in half
• 0.5 cup basil pesto 
• 6 ounce roasted peppers sliced into strips
• 8 servings salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound .5 oz. macaroni or any short pasta you choose)

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• sauce pan
• pot
• sieve

Directions

1. Place 12 ounces fingerling or baby red potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
2. Spread them out on a baking sheet to cool, then slice the potatoes into 1/2-inch coins.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
4. Add 8 ounces green beans, cut in half, and 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces so they're about the size of the pasta you're using, and blanch the vegetables just until they're bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the hot water with a spider or a strainer, rinse them with cold water, and submerge them in the ice water until completely cool, then drain, pat dry, and set aside.
5. Add 1 pound gemelli or tubetti (or any short pasta you choose) to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
6. Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl to cool a bit.
7. Toss in the potatoes, asparagus, green beans, 1/2 cup pesto, one 15 1/2-ounce can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), one 6-ounce jar roasted peppers, sliced into strips, and salt and pepper to taste. If preparing ahead of time, combine all of the ingredients 1 to 2 hours before serving.
8. Reprinted with permission from What's a Hostess to Do?: 313 Ideas and Inspirations for Effortless Entertaining by Susan Spungen. Copyright © 2013 by Susan Spungen. Published by Artisan, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc.