Some nights, no matter how hard you plan, dinner just does not work out.

It’s a good idea to have a list of quick and easy meals you can whip together for rough evenings, and Emergency Pantry Pasta Salad is a good recipe to add to the arsenal.

It’s basically pasta salad that you make with ingredients from your pantry.  Genius, right?

There are two things that are key to making this into a tasty meal and just some starchy boxed junk from the dusty shelf.

One, add protein.  Canned beans, tuna, salmon, or chicken.  PROTEIN, people.

And two, keep this secret ingredient on hand to liven it up and add tons of flavor:

Roasted red bell peppers in the jar.  Get them in oil if you can.

If you keep your eye out, you can find it for a dollar or two per jar.  They are lively, tasty little bites and add color.  They’ll dress those noodles right up, and make  your meal look intentional, not cobbled together.

And now, the recipe.

1 box (14-16 oz.) bowtie/farfalle pasta, cooked and drained.

1 can black olives, drained (14 oz, not the little skimpy short cans).  Cut them in half so there will be a piece in every bite.

1-2 can cannelini, navy, or other white beans, depending on how hearty you want the salad, drained.  Save the bean juice.

1/2 – 1 jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, liquid reserved, and chopped.

1/2 chopped red onion, or green onions, or whatever kind you have in your pantry.  Yellow onions can be a bit harsh, but you can cook it a tiny bit to soften the bite.

Other assorted flotsam and jetsam that needs to be eaten up.  Got some lettuce in the fridge? Tomatoes?  Last night’s green beans?  Add it in.  I like this pasta salad mixed half and half with lettuce or spinach salad mix.

Toss it all together in a big bowl and chill.  Actually, if you plan right, you can cook the noodles, drain, then mix the salad in the same pot.

Add dressing when you’re ready to serve.

Dressing? You’re out of dressing?  No worries, my friend.

Make a quick vinaigrette.  Fill the bell pepper jar up about 1/4 full with red wine vinegar.  Add about a quarter jar’s worth of olive oil, or the reserved bell pepper oil.  Add about another 1/4′s worth of bean juice, to thicken it and for mouth feel.  The jar should be about 3/4 full.  Add a pinch of tarragon or other favorite herb, some garlic powder, some salt and pepper.

Tighten the lid on and shake shake shake!

Taste the dressing and adjust seasonings to suit your palate.  Add more oil if you find it too tangy, or more vinegar if you like it lively.  A squirt of brown mustard (not yellow American mustard, the spicy brown stuff) might be nice, if you’re into that sort of thing.  Mess around a bit and make it your own.

Yummy!

Keeping a meal’s worth of pantry staples on hand works for me!  For more WFMW, check out We Are THAT Family!