When I made the grand announcement of wanting to transition to a more plant based diet in my 2019 goals post, one of the biggest things people asked me were, "How are you going to get your protein?!" Which is the dreaded comment that all people transitioning to a plant based diet hate! There are so many protein sources out there! Did you know one bunch of broccoli has 17 grams of protein? This pasta dish is one of those protein wonders as well.
We bought some red lentil pasta when we did our grocery shopping last week (purchased at Walmart, but I've also seen it at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and a lot of other stores too!), and it had 26 grams of protein per serving! Best part? My kids and husband who are very anti whole wheat pasta, had no clue that they were eating anything other than normal white flour pasta. I call that a win.
We made this pasta salad as a quick and easy dinner when we got home from Idaho last night. It was super quick and easy to make, and Derek and I both loved it. Since it is a pasta salad, you are technically supposed to eat it cold, but we ate it warm and it was delicious. And now I just get to eat the leftovers cold for lunch today. Best of both worlds.
Yield: 4
Protein Packed Pasta Salad
This protein packed pasta salad comes together with chickpea pasta, fresh veggies, and a delicious balsamic glaze!
Cook time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fusilli, cooked
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, halved
- 2 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup thinly sliced basil, plus more for garnish
- Balsamic glaze, for drizzling
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Add the cooked pasta into a large bowl, include some tomatoes, and basil.
- In a different smaller bowl combine the vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic, and oil.
- Add salt and pepper, mix well.
- Add the dressing, and toss well to combine it all together.
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