Feed Zone Recipe: Pasta Salad With Walnuts And Blue Cheese

Dr. Allen Lim is a sports physiologist who has worked with the biggest riders in professional cycling. One of his most influential contributions to the sport has been changing how the traditionally pasta-fueled peloton thinks about food.

Lim and professional chef Biju Thomas tested hundreds of recipes with Tour de France cyclists to find out what worked: what was easy to make, delicious to eat, and friendly to high performance. They share their favorite dishes in The Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes, now available from VeloPress.

Servings: 2

Time: 5–15 minutes

Start with chilled cooked pasta, and this salad can come together in under five minutes. It makes a great entrée with the addition of cooked meat or grilled vegetables.

2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh parsley
1 tablespoon coarse-ground
prepared mustard
1 tablespoon crumbled
blue cheese
3 cups cooked fettucini
2 cups mixed baby greens
fresh lemon juice

Optional Additions
roasted chicken
grilled vegetables
fresh basil
In a large bowl, combine olive oil, walnuts, parsley, mustard, and blue cheese. Fold in chilled pasta, along with any optional ingredients.

Serve greens with pasta on top. Add lemon juice and salt to taste.

Toasting the walnuts makes this salad more flavorful and takes only a few extra minutes. You can do this in a small dry pan or in a 350-degree oven. Watch them closely so they do not burn!

PER SERVING: Energy 660 cal • Fat 28 g • Sodium 503 mg • Carbs 89 g • Fiber 6 g • Protein 20 g

This recipe from The Feed Zone Cookbook used with permission of VeloPress. The Feed Zone Cookbook features 160 athlete-friendly recipes that are simple, delicious, and ready to go. For more sample recipes, please visit www.feedzonecookbook.com.