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Pasta Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing - Healthyish

Easy Pasta Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

This easy pasta salad with cilantro lime dressing recipe is so light and delicious you’ll want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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Ingredients

  • 8 oz chickpea pasta, al dente, drizzle with olive oil.
  • 1 zucchini , about 1 cup
  • 15 ounces sweet corn kernels , 1 can, drained, rinsed and dried.
  • 15 ounces black beans, 1 can, drained, rinsed and dried.
  • 5 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • ½ cup sweet onion, diced small
  • cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped small
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • pinch black pepper

Cilantro Lime Dressing

  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups cilantro, remove the stems and pack it into the measuring cup
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice , about 4-5 limes
  • 2-3 medium jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds for a less spicy dressing.
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • skillet
  • blender
  • colander
  • pasta pot

Instructions 

Prepare the pasta and veggies:

  • Bring water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package. Al dente preferred.
    Once the pasta is cooked, drain off the water using a colander. Next, you’ll rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process.
    Finally, you will gently toss the pasta with olive oil to prevent it from sticking together. Set it aside.
  • Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Slice your zucchini into ½ inch thick slices and gently brown it in a skillet. Once the zucchini has a light sear, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
  • Next, you’ll prepare your black beans. Drain off all liquid and gently rinse with cold water. Once all of the water is drained off, season with a touch of salt. Set aside.
    Next, you'll drain any liquid off of the canned corn. Season with a touch of salt and set it aside.
  • Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and dice your onion into small pieces. Set aside.

Prepare the dressing:

  • In a blender you’ll combine the lime juice, garlic, jalapeños, honey, Dijon mustard, cilantro, and salt. Begin to blend.
    Next, you'll slowly pour the olive oil into the blender with the other ingredients. Be sure to taste test the dressing to make sure it is to your liking. You can add more jalapeno for heat or honey if you like it a bit sweeter.

Assemble the dish:

  • In a large mixing bowl combine, the cooked rotini pasta, browned zucchini, black beans, corn, onion, and tomatoes. Pour the cilantro lime dressing on top of these ingredients until the salad is lightly coated in dressing. Gently toss everything together. Finish the salad with feta cheese and some additional fresh chopped parsley.
  • Serve and enjoy. Refrigerate any leftovers!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 453kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 491mg, Potassium: 490mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 549IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 2mg