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Description
  Pasta salad is a classic summer BBQ dish, but is normally mayo based, which I'm not a fan of. This has a homemade salad dressing that isn't too fatty but full of flavor. The salad ingredients are a great Mediterranean combination of chickpeas, roasted red pepper, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Any other nuts would work besides pine, and arugula can be used in place of spinach. For a protein source, mix in some shredded chicken! For a very similar dish, see my Mediterranean Sweet Potato Salad

Time
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

 Cost
Total Cost: $12.72
Cost per Serving: $2.12
Ingredients
Roasted Peppers
- 2 medium (238 g) Bell pepper ($1.71)
- 1 tsp (5 g) Extra virgin olive oil ($0.07)
- Pinch (0 g) Salt ($0.00)

Chickpea Pasta
- 8oz box (227 g) Chickpea pasta ($3.22)

Rest of Pasta Salad
- 15.5oz can (254 g) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed ($0.85)
- 2 plum tomatoes (120 g) Tomato ($0.25)
- 2 cups (60 g) Spinach, fresh ($0.65)
- 1 English cucumber (301 g) Cucumber ($0.96)
- 3/4 cup (113 g) Feta cheese ($1.49)
- 1/4 cup (28 g) Pine nuts ($1.73)

Dressing
- 1/4 cup (60 g) Apple cider vinegar ($0.15)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Lemon juice ($0.09)
- 2 tbsp (28 g) Extra virgin olive oil ($0.39)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Balsamic vinegar ($0.49)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Dijon mustard ($0.06)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Minced garlic ($0.09)
- 1 tbsp (2.4 g) Basil, dried ($0.00)
- 1 tbsp (3.2 g) Thyme, dried ($0.08)
- 1 tbsp (2.5 g) Oregano, dried ($0.11)
- 2 tsp (6 g) Garlic powder ($0.07)
- 2 tsp (6 g) Onion powder ($0.08)
- 2 tsp (8 g) Lemon pepper ($0.07)
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 g) Red pepper flakes ($0.01)

Instructions
1.  Start with the peppers first, since they'll take the longest. Preheat your oven to 400F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut the peppers into long thin strips, and add to the sheet. Drizzle with oil and add a pinch of salt. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until soft and lightly charred. Alternatively, you can use a (drained and rinsed) jar of roasted red peppers

2.  Meanwhile, prepare your pasta according to instructions. Drain and rinse, and shock with cold water to stop cooking. Optionally, drizzle with just a few drops of EVOO to prevent sticking

3.  As the peppers roast and the pasta boils, prepare the rest of the vegetables. Drain and rinse your can of chickpeas, and add to a large bowl. Cut up your tomatoes (small dice), cucumber (thin quarters), and spinach/arugula (rough chop). 1 pint of halved cherry tomatoes would work as well. Crumble in the feta cheese

4.  In a small dry pan over medium heat, add the pine nuts and lightly toast for about 3 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Add to the bowl

5.  Finally, in a large glass, prepare the dressing. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic. Add in your spices (basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, onion, lemon pepper, and red pepper flakes). Stir with a spoon

6.  Pour the dressing over your salad, and serve either cold or warm



Nutrition Facts
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Servings: 6
Calories: 352
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Total Fat: 16.0g (20 %)
 Saturated Fat: 3.6g (18 %)
 Trans Fat: 0g
 Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.8g
 Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6g
Cholesterol: 17mg (6 %)
Sodium: 606mg (26 %)
Total Carbohydrate: 41.5g (15 %)
 Dietary Fiber: 10.4g (37 %)
 Sugar: 9.2g
Protein: 17.2g (34 %)
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Vitamin B12: 0.3mcg (13 %)
Vitamin D: 0.1mcg (0 %)
Potassium: 405mg (9 %)
Calcium: 192mg (15 %)
Magnesium: 55mg (13 %)
Iron: 6.2mg (35 %)
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 Glycemic Index: 36.4
Glycemic Load: 13.8
Sources of Inspiration
https://www.loveandlemons.com/pasta-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-43201

Alternative Recipe Link (Whisk / Samsung Food)
https://s.samsungfood.com/rsPQ7