One of my (and my family’s) favorite thing in the world is pasta. I mean come on what’s not to like!? Well any who, the Hubby and I decided to take on a semi-vegetarian lifestyle. Pretty much we wanted to limit meat down to 3 times a week and increase our veggie and fruit intake. Trying to find things that were delicious and filling was becoming increasingly difficult.
I’ve always had a love for pasta salad like no other. My hubby on the other hand hated it! He cringed at the thought of eating cold pasta soaked in vinegar. We went to a friend’s BBQ and tried their pasta salad. My husband raved about it, me on the other hand I thought it needed something else. Now finding out that pasta salad could be something we both enjoy in the future, I was jumping on this opportunity. I immediately went home and started experimenting with the perfect dressing combination and flavorful,healthy ingredients.
This pasta salad is amazing on so many levels:
- You can add any addition to it that you see fit
- It’s fast and easy
- It makes a ton; great for gatherings
- It’s cheap
- It’s packed full of great vitamins and nutrients
- Did I mention how delicious it is
Warning: It’s extremely addictive! You could find yourself sitting on the couch eating straight out of the bowl.
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box Farfalle pasta (bowtie pasta)
- 1-2 cups Feta crumbles
- 1 can Sliced Black Olives
- ½ bunch Broccoli
- Cherry tomatoes
- Green Onions
- 1 Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper
- 1 English Cucumber
- Additional toppings as desired: artichokes, red onions, etc.
Dressing
- ¾ cup Olive Oil
- 2 small lemons or 1 ½ Large lemons squeezed fresh
- 4 Tb Red Wine Vinegar
- 2-3 Tb Honey or Agave
- 1 tsp dried Oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3-4 cloves minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Bring water to a boil and cook Pasta. While pasta is cooking, start dressing.
- Mix all dressing ingredients together well with a fork or whisk. Taste and add more sweetener as needed.
- When pasta is done, rinse in cold water and put in large bowl
- Dice bell pepper, cucumber, broccoli, green onions and halve tomatoes. Add to pasta bowl along with cheese and black olives.
- Pour half the dressing on top and mix well. Let sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Add more dressing as needed before serving.
Enjoy!
