Lentil Pasta Pasta Salad

I apologize for the lack of posts... this year has been quite busy and I am now a mother of two! I had my baby boy "Tommy" on October 7th, who is a superstar baby. That being said, I haven't been doing much besides breastfeeding, laundry, and changing diapers. However, I make sure to get out for stroller walks (for not only exercise, but fresh air, sunlight, and to see the world!) and have been cooking a ton! Cooking is very therapeutic and fun for me, and it is something that keeps my whole family healthy and exposes my daughter to new flavors and cuisines. At the end of my pregnancy, I bought a lot of (healthier) frozen dishes and packed items like the quick cook Tastybite packs and quick cook quinoas. However, I found I haven't even used them since there is enough time to make quick meals almost every day.

So, while I breastfeed, I search for recipes or just try to create some fun and different meals for my family (now of 4!) with ingredients I have on hand. My hope is to post about these meals more regularly than I have been to show relatively easy things you can create when you are busy with kids, work, and keeping the house in order.

An extremely easy meal that I often recommend to my clients to make in bulk and take to work is a pasta salad. However, this isn't just any pasta salad, it's made with a bean based pasta (I use Barilla's Lentil or Fusili penne) and tons of veggies. So it's full of protein, fiber, and super healthy. You can make a big batch of this, and since you eat it cold, it is an easy and well-balanced meal to keep on hand for a quick meal. You can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand (or like in a pasta salad), but I provide some ideas below.

PASTA SALAD BASE INGREDIENTS:

1 box bean-based pasta (such as Barilla Lentil Penne or Fusili)

1 cup grape tomatoes- sliced in half

1/2 bunch of kale, mustard greens, or Swiss Chard (optional) - chopped into bite size pieces

1 - 8-10 oz container raw arugula

2 cups other veggies such as blanched broccoli, cauliflower, carrots

1 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, chunked or cubed

1/2 c black or kalamata olives, sliced in half (optional)

DRESSING:

1/3 c olive oil

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1/4 c water

2 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp each fresh cilantro and parsley (or herb of your choice!)- chopped fine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to box directions

2. Cook down kale/collards/Swiss chard in pan or steam then chop. If blanching other veggies, do so at this time.

3. Let pasta and greens cool while you whisk together dressing ingredients in a jar.

4. Combine pasta and veggies in large bowl. 

5. Mix in Feta and olives.

6. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and stir until everything is dressed.

7. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 8. NUTRITION LABEL BELOW (using Diet Master Pro software)