Summer Pasta Salad With Herbs de Provence

I think we all love pasta salad no matter what season, but summer isn't summer unless you have had a pasta salad.  I love our Spugnole pasta for making pasta salad. The texture is wonderful and its shape is unusual.  

This salad is easy and made in under 30 minutes.  Remember every cook-out needs a great pasta salad!

Ingredients

Salad

• 3 cups Organic Spugnole Pasta
• 2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 ½ cups Chickpeas, cooked, drained and rinsed ( I use canned)
• 2 cups Arugula
• 1 cup Persian cucumbers, sliced into thin half moons
• 1 cup Crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup Basil leaves, torn
• ½ cup Parsley, minced
• ½ cup Mint, chopped
• ¼ cup Pine nuts, toasted

Dressing

• ¼ cup Herbs Provence Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more for drizzling
• 3 Tbsps. White Balsamic Vinegar (other suggestions- Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar, Marc de Champagne Vinegar)
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence
• ¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
• ¾ tsp. sea salt
• Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, or until slightly past al dente.  Drain the pasta, toss it with a little olive oil (so that it doesn’t stick together) and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, Herbs de Provence, red pepper flakes, and salt.
3. Transfer pasta to a large bowl with the tomatoes, chickpeas, arugula, cucumbers, feta cheese, basil, parsley, mint, and pine nuts. Pour the dressing and toss to coat. Season to taste with squeeze of lemon, salt, pepper, and/or a drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and serve.

Recipe modified from blog "Love and Lemons"