Pasta salad is one of those easy go-to make-ahead salads that are perfect for a picnic. And the beauty of the pasta salad is there are so many variations that we put together an extensive list of pasta salad recipes here.
We love this chickpea pasta salad with fresh arugula and cherry tomatoes because it is easy to make and full of fresh flavours. It’s a great alternative to stodgy, creamy pasta salads.
Pasta Salad Tips
Yes. And this is the ONLY time you should ever rinse pasta, when you are using it in a cold dish such as pasta salad. Running the pasta under cold water after draining helps stop the cooking process and washes away any unwanted starches – both of which help prevent mushy or gluggy pasta.
The best types of pasta for pasta salads is dried pasta and small shapes, preferably with nooks and crannies for dressings and ingredients to grab on to. Go with spiral type pasta such as fusilli or rotini. Tubular pasta such as mostaccioli, paccheri or penne or even the bow style pasta farfalle.
Yes, you can but make sure you prepare the pasta for storage to prevent it from sticking together. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and while still in the colander, generously coat all of the pasta with olive oil tossing it to make sure all the pieces are separated. Then, store in a zip lock bag or airtight container until ready to use. The olive oil will add a subtle flavour and create a barrier that prevents the pasta from drying and ultimately clumping together. 48 hours would be the max make-ahead time I would recommend for this.
Ingredients
Tips to Keep Your Picnic Food Cold & Fresh
Keeping food cold for a picnic is such a consideration, we have written an article on just that.
We have put together all the best tips for keeping food and drink cold without having to lug big heavy coolers full of messy ice. If you need ice cubes just for drinks, we have elegant, portable solutions for that too.
Recipe Variations
- For a healthier creamier pasta salad, add avocado chunks at the last minute.
- Use slow roasted tomatoes for a a richer flavour which will also form part of the dressing.
- Some slices of roasted red pepper can add mediterranian spin to this salad and boost the dressing flavour as well.
- For a vegan version, substitute feta for vegan feta or leave out all together.
- If you can’t get fresh arugula, baby spinach or any other dark green will work. Just add at the last minute to avoid wilting.
Arugula & Chickpea Pasta Salad
A healthy and substantial pasta salad without the heaviness of creamy dressings. This pasta salad with chickpeas, arugula and fresh cherry tomatoes is bursting with fresh flavours. A perfect make ahead picnic salad.
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked pasta (use short pasta shapes – spiral types like fusilli or rotini, and farfalle or penne shapes are best)
- 2 cups baby truss tomato or cherry tomato
- 1 ½ cups canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 cups fresh arugula
- 8 oz feta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt & cracked pepper
- ¼ tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup peanuts or other chopped nut (optional)
Instructions
- Cook your chosen pasta as per the package instructions. Be careful not to over or under cook.
- As soon as you have drained the pasta, rinse under cold water to prevent further cooking and cool for the salad. This will also wash away any unwanted starches and prevent a gluggy salad.
- Chop tomatoes in halves or quarters and place them in a large bowl.
- Add drained canned chickpeas, fresh arugula, fresh parsley or basil and crumbled feta cheese. Stir to combine.
- Add the cooled pasta to the large bowl.
- Stir until combined, toss with olive oil, lemon zest, pepper and salt.
- Serve in individual bowls or on a platter and sprinkle with an optional garnish of chopped nuts.
Notes
- Keep leftover pasta salad in an airtight container for up to two days.
- For a healthy creamy salad, add some avocado chunks.
- You can make the salad one day in advance and keep it refrigerated, just make sure you add the arugula just before serving, otherwise, the greens will wilt.
- For a vegan version, sub feta for vegan feta or leave out.
- For a richer tomato flavour, use slow-roasted vine tomatoes instead of fresh ones.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 664Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 1030mgCarbohydrates: 75gFiber: 9gSugar: 10gProtein: 26g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate
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