So guess what? I finally COOKED something on Saturday! Introducing: Mediterranean Pasta Salad. Simple and delicious.
Between all the travel in August and the crazy heat during the rest of the summer, I either haven’t had the opportunity to cook or have just been feeling very unmotivated to turn on the stove for anything more than scrambled eggs. Not that pasta is all that complicated, but you know what I mean 🙂
Saturday morning while hunkered down during the hurricane was the first time I’ve felt inspired in ages! Here’s hoping my cooking mojo is returning 🙂 I made another recipe on Saturday as well that I’ll be sharing next week!
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Serves about 6
This recipe is quick and simple but very delicious. To amp up the nutrition, feel free to add in some zucchini or squash as well — either raw or lightly steamed — or even some wilted spinach.
Ingredients:
- 5 & 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat/grain pasta
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (13.75 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 (2.25 oz.) can pitted and sliced black olives, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional but recommended!)
Instructions:
1) Bring a large pot of water on the stove to a boil, then add pasta. Cook according to package directions.
2) Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl. Once the pasta is cooked, drained, and cooled for a few minutes, add it into the bowl and mix. Add salt to taste, if desired. Serve chilled. Enjoy!
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This recipe is quick and simple but very delicious. To amp up the nutrition, feel free to add in some zucchini or squash as well — either raw or lightly steamed — or even some wilted spinach.
Ingredients:
- 5 & 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat/grain pasta
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (13.75 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 (2.25 oz.) can pitted and sliced black olives, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional but recommended!)
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water on the stove to a boil, then add pasta. Cook according to package directions.
- Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl. Once the pasta is cooked, drained, and cooled for a few minutes, add it into the bowl and mix. Add salt to taste, if desired. Serve chilled. Enjoy!
Notes:
I completely forgot to add in the feta — major fail! It was still delicious without it though, too 🙂
For the pasta, I used a mix of some Jovial Foods samples I received at the Fitness & Health Bloggers Conference I went to in Colorado earlier this summer.
I tried two different kinds of their pasta — first, the whole grain einkorn penne. Einkorn apparently has lots of protein, fiber, and B vitamins — so it’s especially great for vegans and vegetarians (and everyone else, too).
I also tried the gluten-free brown rice pasta.
Both were delicious and tasted like completely normal pasta to me. Highly recommended! I assume you can find Jovial Foods products at health foods stores like Whole Foods, but there’s a store locator on their website, too.
I’m off to class — we have a biochem quiz this morning, bah. Wish me luck! And later this afternoon I’m flying up to DC for a big family event for a couple days. I should still be blogging, but just in case I’m a bit MIA, that’s why 🙂
Ta-ta for now, friends!
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p.s. Please check out my guest post over on the Attune Foods blog today: “Five Reasons Why I Love the Healthy Living Summit!”
