Now that the weather is warming up, it has me dreaming about cook outs, backyard bbq’s, picnics, basically all the outdoor eating activities, you know?
I know things might look a little different this year, but a girl can dream, no?
With a box of chickpea pasta, a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, a can of artichoke hearts, I knew I needed to make some sort of easy pasta dish that you could whip up in a jif with items you have stashed away in your pantry.
Plus don’t even get me started on the sweet lemony dressing that showers this entire dish. It’s tangy yet mouthwateringly sweet and lemony.
I use chickpea pasta here and you can too, but use whatever you have on hand. Regular pasta, zoodles, lentil pasta, sweet potato noodles, the possibilities (or pasta-bilities ha!) are endless.
This is the perfect easy summer pasta salad recipe. If you can boil water and cut up a few things, you can make this salad. It’s loaded with fresh flavor and delicious whether you serve it hot or cold! But, eating it hot is kinda my favorite because who can wait, really?
Other pasta salads you might love:
- grilled peach and asparagus pasta salad
- lemon zucchini burrata pasta
- grilled summer veggie pasta salad
- strawberry balsamic basil pasta salad
Ingredients for Mediterranean Pasta Salad:
- pasta: chickpea pasta, lentil pasta, pasta pasta, whatever your heart desires!
- sun dried tomatoes: just a little jar of tomaters in oil is perfect
- artichoke hearts: I like to buy them quartered
- cucumber: I cut then in small pieces, but if you like a chunkier salad, go for half moons
- red onion: love the little bites of red onion throughout the salad, but slices of onion work too if you like it chunky
- grape tomatoes: adds a juicy burst and some more color to the dish
- feta: delicious salty crumbles, I love you.
- parsley: adds the perfect fresh herbiness!
- other add ins that may be fun: olives! what else? I’m drawing a blank…
Ingredients for Sweet Lemon Dressing:
Recipe
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This Mediterranean Pasta Salad is the perfect easy summer recipe! It’s made with chickpea pasta and drizzled with a sweet lemon dressing!
Ingredients
Pasta Salad:
- 16 oz chickpea pasta (or favorite pasta)
- 1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 up quartered artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber (quarters or half moons)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta
Dressing:
- 2 small lemons, juiced
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar (honey or maple syrup works too)
- 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop and slice the sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke harts should be quartered but if not, quarter them, cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes and parsley and put them in a large bowl. Also add the feta to the bowl as well.
- Then, add the lemon juice, avocado oil, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar, and dijon to a mason jar with a lid and shake it until combined. Set aside.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the large bowl.
- Pour the dressing on top of the salad ingredients and toss until the pasta salad is glistening with the delicious lemony goodness.
- Garnish with additional crumbled feta and parsley. Enjoy!
Enjoy!! xo
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