Ingredients: 12 oz dried whole grain or gluten free pasta (rotini, macaroni, etc)
15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed or raw, depending on your preference
½ cup carrot, shredded
½ cup onion, sliced
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 small can of sliced green or black olives, drained (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 large clove of garlic or 2 small cloves, minced (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Directions:
Cook your pasta according to the package directions.
In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, chickpeas, broccoli, carrots, onion, spinach and olives.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.
Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until evenly distributed. Refrigerate to let the flavors meld. This pasta salad is delicious and we usually eat it as soon as it’s prepared, but if you refrigerate it for a while it gets even better!
Good to Know:
If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder in this recipe as directed above. However, if you have fresh garlic, I encourage you to use it because it has great health benefits! Among other benefits, it can combat sickness, including the common cold, the active compounds in garlic can reduce blood pressure. Garlic improves cholesterol levels, which may lower the risk of heart disease.