Description
Ingredients
- 8 oz red lentil penne or rotini pasta
- 2 medium zucchini, about 1 lb
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 12 oz jar pickled roasted red peppers, drained
- â…” cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 2 mini cucumbers
- 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 oz thinly sliced red onions
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 recipe Creamy Greek Dressing, about â…” cup
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210°F.
- Cut the zucchini lengthwise into long quarters, then slice into ½-inch pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss the zucchini pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil and dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the zucchini on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 20–25 minutes until soft and lightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool while preparing the salad.
- Slice the red onions, place them in a small bowl, and cover with cold water. Let the onions soak for at least 15 minutes to reduce the harsh onion flavor.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain in a colander, run cold water over it, and set aside to cool and drain completely.
- Make the dressing according to the Homemade Creamy Greek Dressing recipe.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes and pitted kalamata olives into halves. Chop the cucumbers into thick quarter slices and roughly chop the pickled roasted red peppers.
- Assemble the salad. Place the cooked, drained, and cooled red lentil pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the rinsed and drained chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, soaked and drained red onion slices, kalamata olives, pickled roasted red peppers, and cooled roasted zucchini.
- Pour in â…” of the Greek dressing and toss the salad together. If it looks like it could use more dressing, add more to preference.
- Garnish with freshly chopped basil or parsley and serve right away at room temperature, or chill in the fridge and enjoy later.
Notes
- Red lentil pasta can be swapped for chickpea pasta or whole wheat pasta.
- If jarred roasted peppers are unavailable, they can be skipped or replaced with fresh red bell pepper.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner