This salad is an easy meal to prep for work-week lunches because there is little prep work involved. Using raw vegetables, pasta, and simple vinaigrette makes this meal prep happen in a flash. The recipe also makes a large amount so you and a loved one have a proper lunch every day of your work-week.
Banza is a high fiber, high protein pasta that tastes like regular, refined pasta. If you’re not a fan of whole wheat pasta, this might be more palatable. It’s a great option to use in meat-free recipes due to the high protein content.
Many other vegetables would also work deliciously in the pasta. Halved cherry tomatoes, diced summer squash, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. would all work well. Small cubes of sharp cheddar cheese are also delicious if feta isn’t your jam.
Prepped: Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Banza fusilli or penne
- 1 bunch lacinato kale julienned
- 1 large cucumber diced
- 1 large head of broccoli broken up into bite-size florets
- 2 red bell peppers diced
- 1/2 c chopped parsley
- 1 c kalamata olives halved
- 16 oz feta crumbled (Whole Foods 365 brand is the tastiest & most economical)
- 1/4 of red onion finely diced
- 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
- 2 T red wine vinegar
- 1/3 c olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare all vegetables and herbs, and crumble the feta.
- Set aside the finely diced onion
- Prepare the pasta per package instructions
- While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing. Mix the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Add the onion to the lemon juice/vinegar mixture and allow to sit for a few minutes.
- While whisking the vinegar/onion mixture, gradually add the olive oil to emulsify.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cool water. Combine pasta, vegetables, herbs and cheese. Then add the dressing and gently fold to mix. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.
