Mediterranean pasta featuring chickpeas, feta, crisp vegetables, and a zesty olive oil dressing for a light meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 9 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)
→ Beans & Cheese
02 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
03 - 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 cucumber, diced
06 - ½ red onion, finely chopped
07 - ½ red bell pepper, diced
08 - ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
09 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
10 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, Kalamata olives, and parsley.
03 - Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, and pepper together until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to evenly coat everything.
05 - Fold in crumbled feta cheese carefully to avoid breaking it up too much.
06 - Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving to enhance flavors.
