Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This Mediterranean Pasta Salad, made with farfalle pasta, feta cheese, garbanzos, and bell peppers is perfect for potlucks and casual gatherings. It also makes a simple dinner at home.

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About this Recipe

I named this Mediterranean pasta salad because of the ingredients, some of which are commonly found in Mediterranean-style foods. But here at home and to people who know me, it’s called, “that pasta salad that you make.” It’s what I take to potlucks; it’s what people request when I’m asked to bring something to a gathering. I’ve made this salad for so long that I don’t know where I got the idea for it. But what I can tell you is that if you make it, people will love it and you’ll get asked to make it again and again.

Go here for more info about healthy foods from the Mediterranean diet.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this delicious Mediterranean pasta salad:

• Tri-color farfalle pasta – also known as bowtie pasta. I chose the tri-color type because I love color in my food. Plain bowtie pasta works fine.
• Garbanzo beans – contribute some protein to the salad and they’re one of my favorite beans.
• Red bell pepper – a sweet, crunchy addition to the salad. You can use orange, yellow, or green if you can’t find red ones.
• Feta cheese – a strong cheese that goes perfectly with the other ingredients.
• Black olives – my favorite olive, but kalamata olives go well with the other ingredients too.
• Grape tomatoes – little cherry tomatoes are another option in lieu of grape tomatoes, or a colorful mix of small tomatoes makes a good choice.
• Zesty Italian dressing – brings all the flavors together.
• Fresh parsley – an optional, but good-for-you and colorful addition.

Some other things that go well in this pasta salad are artichokes and red onions. I love artichokes, but not everyone does, so sometimes I add some to my plate after serving the salad. Red onion rings impart an aromatic flavor that is a good addition. I like the flavor of red onions but I don’t like crunching on them (go figure). If you cut onions in rings, they’re easy to pick out, so those people who aren’t crazy about onions can still enjoy this Mediterranean pasta salad.

Making Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Prepare the Ingredients

• Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Then drain and rinse it.
• Cut the bell pepper into bite-size pieces.
• Drain the black olives and slice them, or use pre-sliced olives. One 2.25 ounce can is a perfect amount. If you have larger cans, use about 1/3 cup of sliced black olives.
• Drain the garbanzo beans.

Combine the Ingredients

• Put the pasta, the garbanzo beans, the red bell pepper, and the olives into a large mixing bowl and stir the ingredients.
• Add the zesty Italian dressing, mixing all ingredients again.

• Before serving, mix in the feta cheese.
• You might need to add more zesty Italian dressing before you serve this Mediterranean pasta salad. The ingredients soak up the dressing.
• If you have fresh parsley, use some herb scissors and sprinkle some fresh parsley snips on the salad.

Serving the Pasta Salad

Because of the protein in the garbanzo beans, pasta, and feta cheese, this Mediterranean pasta salad is a meal in itself. You can serve it at home and call it dinner. But, if you bring it to a potluck or any casual dinner gathering, you’ll be a hero. Shown below, it’s nestled on top of fresh spinach, ready to be eaten. I also put a pinch of fresh seed sprouts on top. I sprout them at home using Todd’s seeds.

Questions about Pasta Salad

• What goes well with this pasta salad? It goes great with fresh-baked artisan bread, a small serving of fish (or chicken), or a leafy green side salad.
• Can you make this pasta salad the night before? Yes! Making this the night before or the morning of an event can save you some time. If you make it the night before, add some extra zesty Italian dressing before you serve it.
• Can you freeze this pasta salad? It’s not a good idea to freeze this recipe. The salad can be refrigerated for up to two days, but these ingredients are best served as fresh as possible.
• What kind of pasta works best in this pasta salad? Any bite-sized pasta will work. I’m partial to farfalle pasta, but large elbow macaroni or shell pasta will work well, also.

Expert Tips

• Use canned garbanzo beans to save time.
• Pre-sliced black olives save some time too.
• Crumbled feta cheese works best in this recipe. If you buy feta in blocks, be sure to break it into pieces before adding it to the pasta salad.
• Using grape tomatoes or other small tomatoes is a better choice than using sliced tomatoes which can fall apart when the salad is mixed.

Other Recipes that You Might Like

If you like pasta, you might like tangy pasta with shrimp or veggie shrimp pasta salad or couscous garbanzo salad.