Protein-Packed Greek Chickpea Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 box Banza Chickpea penne (or any pasta/substitute)

• 1 spiralized zucchini (I used CeCe's Veggie Co. pre-spiralized zucchini)

• 1 cup green and purple Kalamata olives (or Olive tapenade substitute)

• 1 persian cucumber

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 clove of garlic

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1/5 tsp dried Mediterranean Oregano

• 1-2 cloves of garlic

• Black pepper and Himalayan pink salt

• Crushed red chili pepper flakes (for spice, optional)

Directions:

1. Cook Banza chickpea penne pasta or pasta of choice to directions on the box.

2. While pasta is cooking, chop up one clove of garlic and heat with olive oil on stove over medium heat in a pan. Add spiraled zucchini noodles and cook until noodles become soft and garlic becomes fragrant (5-8 minutes)

3. Remove cooked zucchini noodles from heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Once pasta is done cooking, strain, rinse thoroughly and place in the same mixing bowl as zucchini. Put the cooked zucchini and pasta in the refrigerator to cool down (about 20 minutes)

4. While zucchini and pasta cools down, chop up red bell pepper, Kalamata olives and Persian cucumber into bite-size pieces and set aside.

5. To make the dressing, finely mince one clove of garlic and place in a bowl with 1.5 tsp Mediterranean oregano. Add juice of one lemon, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, Himalayan pink salt, fresh black pepper and crushed red chili pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly.

6. Once pasta and zucchini have fully cooled down, add all chopped vegetables to mixing bowl and toss. Drizzle dressing over the pasta salad (you may not need it all) and mix thoroughly.

7. Let all ingredients chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes then serve cold.