Chop it up Pasta Salad

Veggie Pasta salad

Veggie Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad it’s my all-time favorite side dish. I wanted to find a way to make it more filling. So I decided to try tofu and roasted chickpeas and they made the perfect addition.

Ingredients

• 8 Kalamata olives

• 6 oz of firm tofu

• 2 oz of baby spinach

• 2 marinated artichoke hearts

• half of a medium-sized cucumber

• 8 oz of Campari tomatoes

• Italian dressing

• 1 pasta salad kit ( I use Betty Crocker’s Suddenly Salad Classic kit)

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon of pepper

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon of onion powder

Directions

• Press tofu by wrapping in a clean tea towel and sitting a plate on top or using tofu press for about 15 - 20 min

• Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit

• Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, pat dry with a clean tea towel or paper towels

• Place chickpeas on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper. Mix together until chickpeas are thoroughly coated

• Place chickpeas in the oven for approx. 20 min. While cooling add garlic and onion powder

• Put a pot of water on to boil and cook pasta per pasta salad kit package directions

• Make dressing per pasta salad kit directions, put in mixing bowl

• Chop olives, cucumber, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and tofu into bite-size pieces

• Add chopped veggies, tofu, pasta, baby spinach, and chickpeas to the mixing bowl and combine with the dressing that came in the pasta salad kit

• Cover and refrigerate pasta salad for at least an hour

• When ready to serve add favorite Italian dressing

  Enjoy makes about six servings as a side dish.