This super fresh-tasting dish can be enjoyed as soon as it’s ready, but it’s also the perfect make-ahead snack. (Courtesy of www.wholegrainpasta.ca)

This recipe is simple to make – you cook the pasta, but not the ingredients that go with the pasta. It’s a super fresh-tasting dish that can be enjoyed as soon as it’s ready, but it’s also the perfect make-ahead snack. Just store it in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoy it all week long. The whole wheat pasta, grape tomatoes and chickpeas make it a truly healthy and a totally delicious snack that your whole family will love!

Easy pasta salad with basil, grape tomatoes and chickpeas

1 box (300g) Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Whole Wheat Bows

2 cups (480 mL) grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup (250 mL or 40g) fresh basil, chopped

3/4 cup (190 mL) red onion, sliced

1 can (540 mL/19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

* optional: ½ cup (125 mL) peanuts, chopped

Dressing:

¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp (45 mL) balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

1 Tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp (5 mL) salt

¼ tsp (2 mL) ground black pepper

1. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl combine halved grape tomatoes, chopped basil, sliced red onion, chickpeas and peanuts.

3. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the grape tomato and chickpea mixture.

4. In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.

5. Add the dressing to the pasta salad and mix well.

6. Serve immediately or put in the refrigerator in an airtight container to be enjoyed later as a cold pasta salad.

Please note: if you want to send this to school as a cold pasta salad in your child’s lunch, omit the peanuts (if your child doesn’t like onions, omit the red onion too – it still tastes great).

Makes 6 servings (each serving is about 1 2/3 cup)

Nutritional Analysis (per serving):

376 calories (448 calories with peanuts)

12 grams fat (18 grams fat with peanuts)

2 grams saturated fat (3 grams saturated fat with peanuts)

0 grams trans fat (0 grams trans fat with peanuts)

58 grams carbohydrate (60 grams carbohydrate with peanuts)

9 grams fibre (10 grams fibre with peanuts)

8 grams sugars (9 grams sugar with peanuts)

316 grams sodium (340 grams sodium with peanuts)

11 grams protein (14 grams protein with peanuts)

Recipe by Liz Pearson; courtesy of www.wholegrainpasta.ca