Gluten-free Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This Mediterranean pasta salad is versatile and adaptable for both omnivores and vegans.

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You can enjoy this recipe as a side dish or main course. Feel free to leave out or add ingredients as you see fit. I use a blend of three different colors and types of gluten-free pasta that are high in protein, However, you can use whatever pasta you prefer or have readily available. I choose to cook the onion, garlic, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives prior to mixing them into the pasta, but you could opt to add them to the pasta uncooked.

The Mediterranean diet is gaining popularity due to its health benefits. It is also one of the most studied dietary patterns (1). The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of overall mortality, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, diabetes, pre-diabetes, also known as metabolic syndrome, overweight, obesity, and cognitive decline (1). The Mediterranean diet includes a limited intake of processed and refined foods along with a high intake of plant-based foods and healthy fats.

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Ingredients

10 ounces gluten-free pasta

1 small onion

1 Jalapeno (optional)

3 cloves garlic

½ cup Cherry or grape tomatoes

½ cup Marinated artichoke hearts

½ cup mixed Greek olives

1/8 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 TBS Freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ Tsp Parsley

½ Tsp Oregano

½ Tsp Basil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil, add pasta, cook until al dente, remove from heat, strain, and place in a bowl.

2. Chop or dice onions, garlic, and jalapenos to the desired size. I choose to add a small portion of about 1/4 cup of onions and one clove of garlic to the pasta salad bowl raw.

3. Add olive oil to a pan to caramelize the remaining onion, garlic, and jalapenos prior to adding them to the pasta salad. Or skip this step and add them raw.

4. Chop cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and assorted olives to the desired size. You can add to the pasta raw or saute it in a pan for approximately five minutes. I add fresh or dried herbs to this blend while sauteing, then toss them together in the pasta salad bowl.

5. Drizzle truffle-infused or plain olive oil over pasta salad and toss.

6. Then top with crumbled feta, freshly grated parmesan, sea salt, pepper, and toss again.

7. Enjoy while warm or place in the refrigerator to chill.

Store in the refrigerator and enjoy leftovers for 3 to 4 days.

This recipe makes about six servings. The nutrition facts are listed for 1/6 of the full recipe. Full nutrition facts are available on cronometer.com

References

Guasch‐Ferré, M., & Willett, W. C. (2021). The Mediterranean diet and health: a comprehensive overview. Journal of Internal Medicine, 290(3), 549–566. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13333