Bright, colorful and healthy veggies are tossed with Farfalle pasta and a lemony vinaigrette for a Mediterranean Pasta Salad that can be served alongside burgers at your next BBQ or a light lunch.
No one really needs a specific reason, season, time of year, or party to make a pasta salad. In my opinion they can be made any time of the year, although they are most popular in the summer as a light side dish to your burger or even a light lunch.
But that doesn't stop me from making it in February when I feel like my body just needs more veggies.
You can use just about any veggies you like. Here's what I used:
- English cucumber - I didn't want to mess with the seeds but you can use either seedless or seeded
- Red onion - I personally am not a HUGE fan so I slice them very thin
- Kalamata olive - now these I AM a huge fan of, so there's lots of them in there just make sure they are PITTED
- Chickpeas (or Garbanzo beans as they are sometimes called) - great for added protein
- Feta cheese - I like the Athenos with tomato and basil personally
Toss all these lovely bright colored veggies in a bowl along with the cooked pasta. If the pasta is not drained and rinsed under cold water to stop the cooking process it can and will continue to cook. As it does it will also absorb the vinaigrette.
So if you are making this to refrigerate or bring to a party I would encourage you to make sure the pasta is completely cooled and drizzled in a little olive oil BEFORE adding the dressing.
It also doesn't hurt to double the dressing recipe and set it aside in the fridge if the pasta needs a little more.
Other additions can include artichoke hearts, diced red pepper or diced salami.
This pasta salad also tastes great with our Greek Salad Dressing !
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Mediterranean Bowtie Pasta Salad
Description
Bright, colorful and healthy veggies are tossed with Farfalle pasta and a lemony vinaigrette for a Mediterranean Pasta Salad that can be served alongside burgers at your next BBQ or a light lunch.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Farfalle Pasta, cooked and drained
- ½ Organic English cucumber, diced
- 1 pint Organic Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved
- 1 Cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved
- 1 Can Organic Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), thoroughly rinsed
- 4-6 Ounces Crumbled Feta Cheese of your choice
- ¼ Cup Organic Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
! LEMON VINAIGRETTE:
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon Organic Sugar
- 2 Cloves Organic Garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook and drain the pasta under cold water until it is no longer hot (you can drizzle a little olive oil on top to coat to keep it from sticking)
- Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss to combine.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette on top and toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE:
- Whisk all ingredients together until combined.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
BEST GRILLED CHICKEN EVER
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PIN IT FOR LATER!
