Mediterranean White Bean Pasta Salad {Vegetarian}
Mediterranean White Bean Pasta Salad is a refreshing twist to traditional macaroni salad with your favorite white beans, fresh parsley and basil, salty Greek olives, and zesty lemon.
Summer salads are a wonderful treat on sweltering days and are especially good when they are simple to make. I fill this amazing Mediterranean white bean pasta salad with perfect ripe cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs to fill my need for veggies, then add protein in the form of white beans, and my carbs in the shape of spirals made with organic ingredients. The crowning jewel is the simple infused garlic and red pepper olive oil followed by fresh lemon squeezed of all its tart summery goodness on the salad.
It is heaven on a fork! Well, if heaven was a little Greece with a dash of Italy.
White Bean Pasta Salad
This white bean salad recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner. You can serve it with skewers of grilled chicken or a delicate piece of roasted salmon.
However, my favorite way is to double the olive oil mix and set aside half to drizzle on sliced Italian bread and then grilled on my favorite indoor grill pan until it is crunchy and the grill marks are nice and brown. Sprinkle with a little sea salt if desired, and your meal will be fantastic!
Shopping List For Mediterranean White Bean Pasta Salad
- 1 16 oz bag Fuseli
- 1 can white beans
- 1-pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch Italian Parsley
- 1 bunch Basil
- 1 lemon
- 2 garlic bulbs or use the one in a jar! Busy moms, please cut corners when you can!
- Olive Oil
- Dried Crushed Red Pepper
- Salt and Ground Pepper
Serve Your Pasta and Bean Salad Beautifully
I used this Le Creuset 24-Oz. Heritage Oval Au Gratin Dish, FIND IT HERE.
And I also love this one for rustic pasta salads.
Try some more yummy recipes!
Mediterranean White Bean Pasta Salad
Mediterranean White Bean Pasta Salad is a refreshing twist to traditional macaroni salad with your favorite white beans, fresh parsley and basil, salty Greek olives, and zesty lemon.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked Fuseli (spiral) pasta
- 1 can white beans drained and rinsed (pick your favorite)
- 1-pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Greek olives halved
- 1/2 cups Italian Parsley coarsely chopped
- 1//2 cup fresh basil leaves, stem removed
- 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (coarse black pepper is wonderful)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool; drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl add olive oil, minced garlic, and crush red pepper.
- Once the pasta has cooled, take a large glass bowl and add pasta, drained beans, halved cherry tomatoes, halved olives, parsley, and basil. Add olive oil mixture. Toss gently to coat salad.
- Place salad on a platter or serving dish.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze juice over the salad, serve immediately.
Notes
For variation add 2 cups of baby arugula and a 1/4 cups thinly sliced red onion.
This recipe checked all the ingredients I was craving. Beans for fiber but light and satisfying.