Veggie Lovers’ Pasta Salad

The week after. I went back to work on Monday. I led two meetings, shipped a code review, had my one-on-one with Priya. She said, "You look different this week. Lighter." I said, "Something went well in my personal life." She did not press. Priya, again: the correct amount of curiosity and the correct amount of restraint.

I told Jisoo on Monday night, in my letter that the agency would translate and forward. I wrote: "I told my parents. It went well. They love me. They are glad I found you. My mother was gracious. My father said he had always known this could happen. They want you to know I am loved." I was afraid Jisoo would read those sentences as a kind of defense. I did not mean them as a defense. I meant them as a gift. I wanted her to know that her choice had not ruined my life. I wanted her to know that her choice had, in fact, made a life that had good parts. Jisoo wrote back two days later: "Thank you for telling me. I was afraid to ask. I am glad they are good people. I am glad for you. I have been carrying a burden. The burden is a little lighter today."

Kevin came up on Friday. He drove up after his shift at the roastery and arrived at the condo with a box of cinnamon rolls from a bakery near his apartment. I opened the door and he hugged me for a long time without saying anything. When he let go he said, "How are you?" I said, "I'm okay." He said, "Really okay?" I said, "Really okay." He said, "Okay then." We ate cinnamon rolls and drank coffee and did not talk about Jisoo for the first hour. Then we talked about Jisoo for four hours. He asked every question. How did the match happen. How old was she when she had me. What did she look like. What did she do for work now. What had I learned about her family. Did she play any instruments — he always wants to know about the music. (She played piano as a child. She stopped. Jihoon apparently plays guitar.)

At some point in the evening Kevin said, "I'm glad I didn't search." He said it with wonder, not defensiveness. He said, "I'm glad I didn't, and I'm glad you did. I don't think I could have survived what you're surviving. I'm watching you survive it and I know it's not done yet." I said, "It will never be done." He said, "No. It won't. That's okay. That's how it works." We were both quiet for a long minute. Then he said, "Also I think she sounds nice. Jisoo." I said, "She does. She is." He said, "Tell her I'm not ready. But tell her you have a brother. Tell her that." I told her, in my next letter. She wrote back: "I will hold him in my thoughts. He is your brother. He is a son of my heart even if I have never met him." I printed that sentence and put it in the folder.

I made japchae on Saturday with Kevin — he chopped the vegetables, I made the noodles. He is not bad in a kitchen. He has learned more than I realized. His girlfriend Lisa apparently cooks a lot, and Kevin has become the kind of person who picks up techniques by osmosis.

Dr. Yoon: we talked about momentum. The reunion is now in motion. Soon the video call will happen. She said, "You are no longer waiting. You are becoming." I left her office and sat in my car in the garage for five minutes not crying. I thought: I am becoming. I am becoming.

The recipe this week is japchae again. The celebratory dish. Made with my brother, for the week after I told my parents, in the summer my life cracked open.

I keep thinking about Kevin standing at my cutting board, asking every question he had stored up for months, his hands moving through a pile of bell peppers without really thinking about it — that particular kind of presence you only get from someone who has known you your whole life. The japchae we made that Saturday belongs to that moment in a way I can’t fully transfer to a recipe card, but this Veggie Lovers’ Pasta Salad carries the same spirit: lots of vegetables, two people in a kitchen, something worth celebrating. It’s the dish I reach for when I want color on the table and I want someone I love to have something to chop.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min (plus 1 hr chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

12 oz rotini or penne pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 cup cucumber, quartered and sliced
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1/2 cup broccoli florets, cut small
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 10—12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water until fully cooled, and transfer to a large bowl.
Prep the vegetables. While the pasta cooks, chop the bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, broccoli, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Slice the olives if not pre-sliced. (This is the part where you hand someone a knife and let them help.)
Combine. Add all the chopped vegetables and olives to the bowl with the cooled pasta. Toss to distribute evenly.
Dress and season. Pour the Italian dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Fold in the Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors come together. Toss again before serving and add a splash more dressing if the pasta has absorbed too much.
Serve. Taste for seasoning one more time and serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Veggie Lovers’ Pasta Salad — The Week Everything Got a Little Lighter