Summer is here and there’s no better way to honor it, then to eat the produce that spawns from it!
Tomatoes are in-season in summer which totally takes me back to my childhood. I would visit my grandparents farm in the summer and pick tomatoes right off the vine and eat them. They were so juicy and delish. I had a hard time consuming store-bought tomatoes afterwards… they just couldn’t compare.
Now, my summertime memories are built around farmers markets. That’s how I came up with this dish. I picked up the most amazing yellow tomatoes from our Calabasas farmers market. I also found the most aromatic, fresh basil along with some crispy cucumbers.
Fun fact my kids love cucumbers drizzled in apple cider vinegar for a snack. I used to push it on them to ensure they’d get some “greens” in their diet and now they ask for it all the time. It’s truly one of my proudest moments as a Mom. 😉
My kids also love chickpea pasta. I’ve only served them (and myself) gluten-free alternatives since they were babes, like quinoa, red lentil, black bean and chickpea pasta.
Banza makes a great chickpea pasta and the texture and flavor is superb. It’s also loaded with 13 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, can’t beat that!
Gluten is one of those things that gets overlooked by many, unless they suffer from Celiac disease.
You would be surprised what gluten has been linked to even in the healthiest adults. Talk with your own doc about it, but mine suggests omitting it for less bloat, better sleep and so much more. It’s truly worth exploring if you just don’t feel your best.
(Below is a pic where red lentil pasta is used. It’s a little firmer, different color, but still really good.)
When it comes to the seasoning in this dish, I purposely kept it simple so that the produce could be the true standout.
When something is so fresh and delicious, you really don’t need to mask it with heavy seasoning. Plus, light seasoning helps keep the calories down and who doesn’t want that, especially during swimsuit season!
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this light, summer pasta. It’s also a great one to make ahead of time and snack on over the next few days because it holds up beautifully.
A pasta dish that’s full of vitamins, minerals, protein and AMORE?
So much LOVE!
Enjoy!
Easy Summer Pasta Salad Ingredients:
- 8 ounce box pasta
- 1 cup tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 Persian cucumbers
- 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Top with parmesan (optional)
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to instructions, set aside.
- Slice tomatoes in half, cut cucumbers (I like to do a striped effect leaving partial skin on), then stack your basil leaves on top of each other, roll it up, then cut thinly into ribbons.
- Combine your pasta and vegetables and season to taste with remaining ingredients.
