A healthy pasta salad is all you need to make you happy and to satisfy your hunger. Yes! Chilled whole-grain penne with fresh tomatoes, peppers, chili, baby spinach, salami and black olives, tossed in a simple olive oil-lemon juice dressing is a perfect midweek meal ready in less than 15 minutes.
A new week is coming up and you need new ideas for your lunch (maybe to take to work) and dinner. Hmmm, what should I cook? I need ideas! It’s been three weeks now since I’ve started with my training as a pastry chef and I’ve been making plans for my midweek meals every week. Sometimes it’s hard to find new ideas or to “cut off” the usual pattern. Well, this healthy pasta salad is just one of many ideas that will make your week easier.
It only takes the time the pasta to cook and it’s ready. I love it! And you will love it too. Like I already mentioned, instead of making always the same meal, for instance, a salad, chicken, rice, sandwiches or wraps, make a pasta salad.
Pasta is always a great choice, either in a warm or cold dish. However, you can use rice, bulgur, couscous or quinoa as well. Here is a quick tip for you: Always add the leafy greens at the end, either if serving the dish warm or cold. As a result, they’ll stay fresh and will look good instead of wilted and sad.
Did you know that pasta from the day before has fewer calories? Yes, it’s absolutely true. When you cook the pasta and then let it cool down completely, your body absorbs fewer calories as it would normally do. The next day, when eating it, either cold or warm, it also reduces the rise in blood glucose levels. Oh, I love pasta! Who doesn’t?!
Now you have no excuse for not making this healthy pasta salad at all. Wink. Making lunch has never been so easy, quick and healthy.
Because of its colours, this healthy pasta salad makes me think of spring or summer. It’s simply beautiful! Don’t you think? Another thing that I like about it is the versatility. In fact, you can combine any type of pasta and any kind of vegetables and leafy vegetables. You can add your favourite dressing, too. However, I still prefer a simple dressing, such as olive oil with a splash of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh black pepper.
Furthermore, for all the pasta lovers, here are some more pasta recipes that I created in the last years: perfect for fall camembert-pear farfalle pasta, colourful autumn leaves pasta, eye-catcher pasta “lingua della suocera”, a summerish prosciutto-melon spaghetti, a hearty penne kidney beans minestrone, a classic cacio e pepe, gourmet pumpkin black spaghetti or tagliatelle with mortadella.
Ingredients for two portions of healthy pasta salad:
- 200 g whole-grain penne
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 15 black olives (pitted)
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 chili
- 8-10 slices of salami
- 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach
- half a lemon (juice)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
To begin, wash the spinach and let it drain in a colander. Then, boil some water and put the pasta to cook (following the instruction given on the package) until al dente. In the meantime, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half, halve the black olives and slice the salami into strips. Wash, deseed and cut the bell pepper into strips or cubes and slice the chili (with or without seeds).
Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and put in a larger bowl or on a larger serving plate. Add the cut olives, tomatoes, bell pepper, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and let completely cool down.
To finish, add the salami strips and the fresh baby spinach. Give it a last gentle toss and serve. This healthy pasta salad pairs wonderfully with grilled meat, chicken or fish but it’s also a delicious dish on its own. The short cooking time makes it a perfect midweek meal, either for lunch or dinner.
Enjoy!
