Hey foodies!

Do you need a flavourful pasta salad recipe for this summer? Try this one with an italian touch. The recipe originates from my mother. Meanwhile, I've "healthified" it by increasing the amount of rocket and cherry tomatoes and substituting normal pasta with whole grain pasta. But feel free to use gluten-free pasta alternatives. At the end, the mixture will always taste incredibly good. Trust me! :-)

Italien Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients (for 6 portions):

• 4 c (500 g) whole grain penne
• 2 tbsp (30 g) olive oil
• ¾ c (100 g) pine nuts
• 1 ½ c (300 g) cherry tomatoes
• 5 c (100 g) rocket
• 2 tbsp (30 g) balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small bunch of fresh basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare your whole grain penne of choice according to pack instructions. Afterwards, add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta, mix and leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a pan, until lightly brown and fragrant.
3. After the whole grain penne have cooled down, add quartered cherry tomatoes, rocket, pine nuts, remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil and oregano.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Nutritional value (per portion):

430 calories
15.6 g fat
16.2 g protein
55.3 g carbs

One portion of this recipe provides you with a balanced amount of energy, fat, protein and carbohydrates, so you stay fuller for longer. As I already mentioned in my previous post, rocket is a great source for vitamins, minerals and secondary plant products. With the addition of carotinoid packed cherry tomatoes and healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids coming from the pine nuts, this pasta salad helps you surviving the aggressive summer sun by protecting you against free radicals and inflammation. Besides the delicious taste, these are other good reasons to give this recipe a try. ;-)

I hope you enjoy the recipe! :-)