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Greatest plates · Salad
Caesar Pasta Salad with Hemp Seed Dressing
Two good things that turn out to want each other: Caesar salad and cold pasta. The dressing is blended hemp seeds, lemon, garlic and capers rather than egg and anchovy, which makes it thick enough to cling to spirals instead of sliding off them.
Serves 4Prep 10 minCook 15 minSaladplant
Containsdairy · gluten · soy
KalaPlate adaptationAdapted from Life-Changing Salads by Danielle Brown, HealthyGirl Kitchen
Protein 24%Carbs 33%Fat 43%
About 618 kcal a serve — 37 g protein, 52 g carbs, 30 g fat. Each segment is that macro's share of the calories, within about 10%.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Method
Cook and cool the pasta
PastaCook the pasta in well-salted water to the packet time, then drain and rinse under cold water until it stops steaming. Cold water is not optional here — hot pasta wilts the kale and splits the dressing.
In the saucepanPasta →
12 min
Brown the tofu
TofuTear the tofu into rough 2 cm pieces — torn edges brown better than cut ones. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high and fry the tofu until golden on two sides, salting it as it goes.
In the frying panTofu →
10 min
Blend the hemp seed Caesar
DressingBlend the hemp seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, mustard, salt and pepper with 180 ml of water on high until it is completely smooth and pourable. Give it longer than feels necessary — the hemp seeds go from gritty to creamy quite suddenly.
In the blenderDressing →
5 min
Massage the kale and toss
TossPut the chopped cavolo nero in a big bowl and scrunch it in your hands for a minute — it darkens and softens and stops being chewy. Add the pasta, tofu and tomatoes, pour over as much dressing as you want and toss. Finish with the shaved Parmesan.
In the bowlToss →
5 min
Cook's noteThis is better an hour after you make it and still good the next day, which is not true of most Caesars. If you are taking it to work, keep a spoonful of dressing back and stir it through cold — the pasta drinks it as it sits.
Estimated per serve
618 kcal · 37 g protein · 52 g carbs · 30 g fatestimates, within ~10%
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