I had such a random craving recently for pasta salad. I say random, because I haven’t had it in YEARS.
I know my body doesn’t handle pasta well (hello hives and rashes), so I decided to give chickpea pasta a go! I know I’m late to the game here, but I can concur that it IS delicious and doesn’t have a weird non-pasta-y texture of flavor. You can (as always) get creative with what you add to your own. Below are just some of my favorite staples for a variety of flavor and texture!
Ingredients:
- Pasta of your choice (I used BANZA, but you can use any kind you like)
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 head broccoli
- Cherry tomatoes
- Stuffed green olives (I had red peppers in mine)
- Artichoke hearts (pickled)
- Broccoli sprouts (or any micro green of choice)
- Hemp hearts
- Pumpkin seeds (or anything for crunch!)
Spices & Toppings:
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Paprika
- Ground garlic
- Ground onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Instructions:
- Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box. I made the entire box, because I love me some left overs!
- Lightly steam broccoli so that it’s cooked, but still has a crunch. If you’re down with all raw, then you can keep it raw too!
- In frying pan, lightly sauté asparagus with a dash of olive oil & spiced heavily with paprika, ground garlic & ground onion. Option to add salt and pepper if you’d like. I like mine to still have a crunch, but you do you!
- If you have large stuffed olives, then I suggest slicing them into smaller pieces. Option to also cut artichoke hearts smaller if you like.
- Cut cherry tomatoes into smaller pieces (halves or fourths depending your preference).
- Once pasta and veggies are both cooked, add to a large mixing bowl with olives and artichoke hearts (quality of pickled foods is to your liking).
- Add a hefty bunch of broccoli sprouts, with hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds to your liking. Then mix all until even.
- Toss altogether with a drizzle of olive oil (or avocado oil) extra spices (sea salt, black pepper, ground garlic, ground onion and ground paprika). Squeeze half of a fresh lemon over the top, and toss again until even.
- Taste test first. If you want more zest, add lemon. If it’s too dry, add more oil. If you want more flavor, add more spices.
- When you have the flavor you like, then top with fresh cilantro.
ENJOY!