Light, cool. and quick. With temps soaring into the 90’s, those are my three little words for the day and this Summer Pasta Salad delivers on all counts!

Not only that, but I forgot the most important part—it tastes terrific!!

So many different flavors and textures—chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, feta and of course, pasta, all coated in a refreshing and slightly zingy lemony vinaigrette—it’s just what you hope you’ll find when foraging in your fridge!

Perfect for take-to-work or stay-at-home lunches or even as a potluck or bbq side.

And in addition to being quick, it’s also extremely versatile. You could leave out the feta, or use another kind of cheese, like shredded Parm or sub in different veggies, I’m thinking broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and radishes would be great, but really only your imagination (or vegetable bin contents) are the limits.

With the future kinda uncertain now, I can’t really predict what’s going to happen in the next few months (will the kids go back to school or not?) but I can say with the utmost certainty, that I’ll making this refreshing pasta salad all summer long!

Stay cool, my friends!

Summer Pasta Salad

Makes at least 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups small pasta (you could use any kind, even orzo)

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 English cucumber, chopped (if it’s very large you may only want to use half)

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Half small red onion, chopped into small pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil

The juice of one lemon

1 garlic clove minced

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

The Recipe

1. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. While it’s cooking place the chickpeas, cucumber, feta and red onion in a large bowl. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Use a few paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible and when it’s cool, add to the bowl with the other ingredients and toss well to mix.

2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Pour over the pasta salad and toss well. You can serve this right away but it’s better if you let it sit , covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to one day. The flavors will meld together more that way.

3. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!