This Mediterranean Pasta, Chickpea, and Fennel Salad with Creamy Feta-Dill Dressing is one of three recipes (and accompanying videos) that we’ve created for Dreamfields Pasta. The first recipe Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Penne, ran on Three Many Cooks a few months ago, and we’ll feature the final recipe–Creamy Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Lasagna–sometime this fall.
We like Dreamfields. Compared with regular pasta it’s higher fiber–good for digestion–and lower on the glycemic index, which means you don’t get those sugar spikes you do with regular pasta. Dreamfields wants you to give their pasta a try, so they’re offering a case of their pasta to some lucky winner. Just tell us your favorite thing to do with pasta. I’ll go first. One of our favorite pasta dishes is actually the lasagna recipe we developed for fall. Giveaway ends Friday August 2nd at 5:00 PM EST.
- Salt
- 12 ounces Dreamfields elbow macaroni
- 1 cup each: crumbled feta cheese and Greek yogurt
- ½ cup each: olive oil, red wine vinegar, and chopped fresh dill
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cans (15 to 16 ounces each) chickpeas, drained
- 1 large fennel trimmed, cored, and sliced thin
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and cut into short strips
- 1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
- Ground black pepper
- Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to boil a large pot. Add pasta and, using back-of-the-box times as a guide, cook, stirring frequently at first to prevent sticking, until noodles are just tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, mix feta, yogurt, oil, vinegar, dill, and garlic in a medium bowl.
- Add chickpeas, fennel, pepper, red onion, and olives to the pasta. When ready to serve, add dressing and toss to coat. Adjust seasonings, including salt and pepper to taste.
I like to make a big pasta salad. I cook up a box of Dreamfields pasta (I’ve been using Dreamfields for several years) and once it cools I add lots of fresh veggies, olives and cheese and/or chicken or shrimp. I toss it with Italian dressing. It’s a nice, cool, one-dish meal and an easy way to eat lots of veggies.
I love pasta salad in the summer and I love baked pasta dishes in the winter!
This is such a fabulous summer salad!
Pasta with roasted veggies is a favorite at our house.
Anything with pasta at our house is yummy! My favorite recipe is orzo pasta with chick peas, grape tomatoes, red onions, basil and mint. It’s all tossed with a red wine vinegerette dressing. Very light and tasty during the summer months!
love, love, love this pasta!!
I love pasta with everything, and when it’s with healthy veggies – it’s great.
MAC AND CHEESE, baby! Total comfort food. And red sauce with a ton o’parm won’t be ignored around here, either, hee. Haven’t seen Dreamfields here, I can find and buy Bionaturae, the spaghetti is good, shells and tubes are a bit grainy.
Thank you!
Favorite thing to do with pasta…asparagus, prosciutto, and feta cheese in a lemony garlic olive oil sauce!
My family’s favorite thing to do with pasta is to douse it in probably the most simple, yet delicious, sauce ever: canned, diced tomatoes simmered with garlic, red pepper flakes and a few tablespoons of vodka. After 10 minutes or so puree with an immersion blender and then stir in some heavy cream, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese–maybe some fresh basil if you have it. Pour it over rigatoni or pasta of your choice and let it soak up the spicy, vodka-y goodness!
My favorite thing to do with pasta is to toss roasted veggies and sun-dried tomatoes with goat cheese, fresh basil, and a little hot pasta water. It’s delicious and easy!
My favorite thing to do with pasta?–Consume it! Al dente. Just a little sauce or dressing. Perfect.