We love a pasta salad with a few surprising twists. This tasty Nourish PA dish includes “meaty” protein-packed chickpeas, little pops of sweetness with chopped grapes, crunchy nuts and onions and salty cheese. All together, it’s a scrumptious and healthy side dish or meal, with or without any added proteins.
This pasta salad takes just 10 minutes to prepare, but requires about 30 minutes to chill, melding and tenderizing the ingredients, so plan ahead! You can make a batch for easy week-day lunches or bring it to your next get-together for a crowd-pleasing dish!
Garnish with crumbled feta or fresh parsley, if you wish.
Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Salad
| Yield |
|---|
| Serves 4 |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10 min | 0 min | 40 min |
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked and cooled whole wheat pasta, like rotini or penne, drained and rinsed
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup red or green grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans
- 1/2 cup store-bought Italian or Greek dressing
Method
- Combine pasta, chickpeas, grapes, red onions and walnuts in a large serving bowl.
- Drizzle with Italian dressing and toss gently to coat.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld. Toss once more before serving.
- Recipe and photo: Dish Works
