With so many of us housebound for the unforeseeable future, it’s tempting to let our diet slip, stock up on shelf stable, processed food, and stop thinking about nourishing our body.
I get it, I’ve been there.
However, there are so many healthy, shelf stable, real foods that can make delicious and nutritious meals! This is one of them…
The Pantry Pasta Salad.
This recipe can be thrown together in a flash and is made with (almost) all shelf stable foods.
Have these ingredients on hand at all times so that when there is a nation wide emergency, or you just want a good meal, you can whip this up quick. They are also good year round, thrown in salads, added to dressings or pestos, and used in a sandwich. But this pasta salad is my favorite way to use them and I hope you enjoy it too!
Note: The one ingredient that is not shelf stable is the goat cheese. I mean this, the salad is still delicious without it, so you can omit it and still be happy. You could also throw some cooked chicken on top if you want a bit more protein.
Pantry Pasta Salad Recipe
Makes about 6 servings, takes about 20 minutes.
Salad Ingredients
16 oz of pasta of choice
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts in water
1/2- 1 full can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used 1/2 can in this)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup kalamata olives or olives of choice
1/4 cup goat cheese, optional
Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes, optional
Directions
Bring a medium-large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package. Drain pasta in a colander and run under cold water for 30 seconds. Place in a large bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pine nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Toast until golden brown. (With my oven, the nuts are perfectly toasted when the oven actually gets up to 350 degrees. Do what works for your oven.)
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Pour on top of the pasta and toss.
Top the pasta with the pine nuts, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and goat cheese. Toss pasta.
This pasta actually gets tastier after sitting in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, but it’s also great if you serve it right away.
Stays good in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Naturally Vegetarian, can make vegan by omitting the cheese.
Can be gluten-free if you use a gluten-free pasta.
Perfect for meal prepping! Just make a large batch at the beginning of the week and pull from it throughout the week.