Just to reduce our consumption of red meat and for a change of pace, we observe Meat-free Mondays. I’m looking for creative dishes for my Monday menu. Here’s one that I modified from a Lidia Bastianich recipe featured in a recent issue of AARP The Magazine. I changed the dressing and added garbanzo beans (chickpeas) for more protein and fiber.
So with apologies to Lidia, here is my recipe:
Summer Pasta and Chickpea Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked farfalle (Bow tie) pasta
- 2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved
- 12 ounces prepared fat-free Italian dressing
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 6-8 leaves fresh basil, cut into small ribbons
Directions:
- In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the garlic and Italian dressing.
- Toss pasta in the dressing.
- Add tomatoes, basil leaves, and chickpeas. Fold gently into pasta.
- Cover and marinate at room temperature one hour (or in refrigerator overnight).
- Serve garnished with the mozzarella.
Nice, simple recipe for the summer. Thanks for sharing.