Summer Pasta and Chickpea Salad

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:

1. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the garlic and Italian dressing. 
2. Toss pasta in the dressing.
3. Add tomatoes, basil leaves, and chickpeas. Fold gently into pasta.
4. Cover and marinate at room temperature one hour (or in refrigerator overnight).
5. Serve garnished with the mozzarella.