Mediterranean Pasta

Every Monday we try to eat a meatless dinner.  Last week I made a wonderful pasta dish that I served cold (I made it in the morning and set it in the fridge all day - with this heat, I didn't want to boil pasta water late in the day).  This is a great main dish or perfect side for your next BBQ.  You can make it your own.  One addition that would be delicious is some feta cheese, but I kept it out since I served this with a side of tomato & mozzarella salad and some Caesar salad as well.  Didn't think we needed cheese in all of our dinner components.  Make this your own and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Mediterranean Pasta
original recipe
1 lb of your favorite whole grain pasta
1/2 bag of baby arugula
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 jar of roasted red pepper slices, drained
1 small jar of sundried tomatoes, drained
1/2 large can of sliced olives, drained (save the rest for a taco night or on top of a salad for lunch)
1/2 - 3/4 cup of your favorite Italian dressing
 
Cook the pasta according to package directions (I used 1 entire box - it was only 12 oz, so if your box is 1 lb you may find that you don't need it all.  Just set the extra aside for another meal or for your kids to munch on).

In a large container (suitable for your refrigerator), place the arugula, artichokes, red peppers, sundried tomatoes, and olives. 

Once you have drained your pasta, rinse it with cold water until cooled and add to the dish. 

Now add your dressing and toss until well combined.  You can always add more dressing later, but its hard to take it out if you add too much. 

Allow the pasta dish to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. 

Serve as a main dish or as a side dish.  We ate it along side tomato, mozzarella, basil salad, and a Caesar salad (we love Ken's light creamy caesar dressing) for our meatless Monday dinner. 

To make the tomato, mozzarella, basil salad layer sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.  Lastly, sprinkle with freshly chopped basil and serve immediately. 

One last picture:  our completed dinner!  YUMMY!!!