Bagels and lox pasta salad

Turn your favorite breakfast into your new favorite dinner with this unique bagels and lox pasta salad.

I have this theory -- which I put into action every Friday night -- that you can turn almost anything into a pizza.

Whatever leftovers I have lurking around in the fridge at the end of the week generally get turned into pizza toppings for Friday Pizza Night. Totally true. Even things like my pan-roasted cauliflower pasta -- minus the pasta itself -- ended up on some pizza dough, topped with cheese. And it's (almost) always a success. Hence my theory.

Now, seeing as how I swear I eat pasta at least twice a week -- I know, at my age I do not need this kind of carbo-loading but I can't help it: I just love the stuff -- I'm working on a similar theory that
lots of your favorite flavor combinations can also be turned into pasta dishes.

And I'm proving my theory today with this bagels and lox salad.

Bagels and lox -- IN A PASTA SALAD. I know, right?!!! Double the carbs, double the fun.

I'm in love with this salad. We've eaten it too many times to count and I'm not tired of it yet -- and Mr. Ninj doesn't have a choice unless he wants to cook for himself. (Yeah, like that's going to happen.)

But seriously, this salad really has got it all going on: crunchy veggies, crunchy-chewy toasted bagel bites, salty smoked salmon and soft mozzarella, all in balsamic-and-onion dressing. Really, it's not so different from a summery panzanella salad ... but with some pasta.

If you're a fan of bagels and lox topped with red onion and capers for savory breakfast, you're going to go completely cray cray over the idea that you can now get those same flavors in a pasta salad. Kind of like breakfast for dinner, right? And who doesn't love that?

And, hold the phone, I haven't even told you the best part yet: this bagels and lox pasta salad only gets better as it sits around, which makes it the perfect dish to bring to a potluck or a BBQ. No plans to travel or not a sharer? Good, because that means you're going to have the best brown bag lunch leftovers ever.

Have I convinced you to turn breakfast into dinner with this bagels and lox pasta salad? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.

Bagels and Lox Pasta Salad

(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
1 large bagel, cut into pieces
8-10 ounces penne or other short pasta
6 ounces green beans, trimmed and snapped into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 of a red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup capers
1 heart of romaine lettuce, shredded
8-ounce container of bite-sized mozzerella balls
4-6 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, toss the bagel bites with a drizzle of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted.

While the bagel is toasting, cook pasta according to package directions, adding the green beans in the last few minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water to remove most of the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil and mustard, then stir in the onion and capers. Add the pasta and beans, bagel, lettuce, mozzerella and salmon, tossing gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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