Chill Out

Here is an awesome summer salad to make when additional heat in the kitchen is not an option! I typically steer clear of recipes that have more than 5-6 ingredients. I'm all about quick and easy, so I almost passed over this salad, but it looked so amazing in the picture that I had to try it. A hand full of ingredients were for the dressing and believe it or not, they showed up in my frig and pantry. I hope you give it a try, you won't regret it!

Greek Pasta Salad

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes



5 ounces (2 1/2 cups) dried conchiglie pasta (seriously...I call them shells!)
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 ounces reduced fat feta cheese
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (I used bottled)
1 tsp minced fresh garlic (I used jarred)
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again and transfer to paper towels to absorb excess water.
2. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, beans, onion, feta, olives and mint in a large serving bowl; add pasta and mix.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, honey, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over the pasta and vegetables; toss well. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste; serve.

Nutritional facts per serving:
334 calories, 13 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat (2 g saturated), 7 g fiber

*Recipe from Recipe.com - by Laraine Perri