Ronan Also Eats are plant forward recipes co-created with 10 year old foodie Ronan (whose mum happens to be the author of daraeats!). All of these recipes feature a small number of savvy ingredients that come together in straightforward and delicious preparations. Ronan Also Eats recipes are written with easy to follow instructions that can be made by parents and their kids together, although we all know who is going to be doing the washing up!
Ronan says: “I like this pasta because it’s easy to make, nutritious, and it’s yummy!”
Dara says: Ronan learned to make pasta salads from a video lesson during his home learning program this past year. He was inspired to make his own unique version and one day set out to make this recipe with the specific ingredients he wanted to include, and even the exact components of the dressing - Ronan knows what he likes!
Simple and delicious, this pasta salad is a great lunchtime make with your little, or not so little one, and comes together quickly on those days when you need something nourishing and flavourful without too much fuss.
We’ve tested and tweaked the recipe to find the most delicious balance of peppery arugula, earthy white beans and pasta, salty feta, with a drizzle of tangy red wine vinaigrette to bring it all together.
Your sidekick can do almost all of the prep with the exception of boiling the water and draining the pasta. If you use chickpea pasta, like we do, this pasta salad is even higher in protein and keeps you going from lunchtime through the afternoon. It keeps well overnight, which means you don’t have to make lunch again tomorrow!
For this pasta salad we have used our favourite chickpea based pasta "Maria's", which has the best flavour and texture of the many chickpea pastas we have tried. Use your own favourite brand, or simply use whole grain or regular pasta. We prefer fusilli as our shape of choice for pasta salads, as the spirals help to capture the feta and the dressing, but use the pasta shape you prefer or have on hand!
Lunchtime pasta salad
Ingredients
For the red wine vinaigrette:
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ scant tsp dried garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon dried mixed italian herbs
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the pasta salad:
- 300 grams dried pasta we used chickpea fusilli
- 1 cup white beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup feta, crumbled
- 2 cups baby arugula
Instructions
- Put your pasta on to cook, according to the package directions; we prefer our pasta done just a touch al dente for this pasta.
- While your pasta is cooking, make the vinaigrette. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the vinegars and honey. Add in the dried ingredients, whisk again briefly, then drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.
- Once your pasta is cooked, rinse with cool water and thoroughly drain your pasta. Allow to cool to room temperature if needed. Add your pasta to the same bowl you made your vinaigrette in. Add in the white beans, the feta, and the arugula, and gently stir to combine. Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed, and enjoy with your mini cooking companion!
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