-Olive Oil -Balsamic Vinegar -Mayonnaise -Dijon Mustard -Garlic -Dried Basil -Salt -Pepper
-Penne Pasta -Kale -Grape Tomatoes -Red Onion -Chickpeas -Grated Parmesan
Make the dressing first. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Set the dressing aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta (any short shape). Boil the pasta until tender and then drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, begin to prepare the kale. I use this pre-chopped kale because it’s super convenient and also inexpensive. If you are using a bunch of kale instead of pre-chopped, simply remove the stems and chop the kale into 1-2 inch pieces. I used half of this one-pound bag for my salad.
Before massaging the kale, it has a lot of volume and entirely fills my big salad bowl.
Add about ⅓ of the prepared dressing to the kale and then use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale. The kale will get softer and lose volume as it is massaged. Set the kale aside.
Slice a red onion. If red onion is a bit too strong for you, you can soak it briefly in ice water to take the sharp edge off.
Slice some grape tomatoes in half.
Add the drained and cooled pasta, tomatoes, sliced onions, one drained chickpeas, and Parmesan to the bowl with the kale. Pour the remaining dressing over top.
Stir everything together, then season the salad to taste with salt and pepper.