This bean pasta is one of my favorite pantry staples. Made primarily from chickpea flour, the pasta pictured below contains 14 grams of protein and 32 grams of carbs per serving! Regular pasta contains about 5 grams of protein and 42 grams of carbs per serving. We buy this one from The Fresh Market, though I’m sure specialty grocers and health food stores carry bean pastas as well.

Living in South Florida, it’s nice to have chilled dishes with the heat. Yes, it’s fall, but it’s still close to 90 degrees here! The fresh, crisp veggies in this pasta salad add an extra refreshing touch, along with the fresh herbs.

My one-year-old in OBSESSED with pasta, so this dish is a hit for him too. It’s a great option for him to bring to school since it doesn’t need to be heated up. The fact that it’s high in protein and has lots of veggies is awesome, making it suitable to function as a whole meal if desired.

You can make your own dressing if you want, but I like to use pre-made Italian dressing and add my own fresh herbs from the garden. NUTRITION TIP!- opt for refrigerated salad dressings. They typically contain less preservatives and junk. That’s why they have to be refrigerated! Just check the expiration dates because they tend to expire faster than preservative-laden shelf dressings. Here’s the one we use below:

Another quick dressing tip: try to find dressings that have less than 5 grams of sugar and less than 5 grams of fat per serving. 

You can really use any veggies you want in the pasta salad (besides potatoes or other veggies that need to be cooked). I encourage you to use up the veggies you have on hand and buy more if needed. The main premise is: 8 ounces of bean pasta + 1 cup raw veggies + 1 cup jarred or canned veggies + 1/2 cup cooked meat + 1/2 cup cheese + 1/2 cup dressing + 1/2 cup fresh herbs. Such as follows…

Ingredients:

• An 8-ounce box of bean pasta
• 1 cup sliced and diced raw veggies of choice: bell pepper, tomato, onion, carrot, and/or celery
• 1 cup chopped jarred/canned veggies of choice: banana pepper, sliced olives, artichoke hearts, and/or heart of palm, etc.
• 1/2 cup sliced and diced cooked meat of choice: salami (uncured), cooked chicken breast, pepperoni (uncured), sausage (uncured), or similar
• 1/2 cup diced, sliced, cubed, or shredded cheese of choice: feta, provolone, mozzarella, or parmesan
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing with less than 5 grams of sugar and less than 5 grams of fat per serving
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs: I recommend 1/4 cup fresh parsley and 1/4 cup fresh basil

Method:

1. Cook pasta according to packaging, drain, and rinse.
2. While pasta is cooking, chop all of your other ingredients and add to large bowl with dressing.
3. Add pasta, stir well, refrigerate for at least a few hours, and enjoy!

This dish would be great to pack on a picnic too!