Bruschetta Pasta
There’s something about the combination of tomatoes and basil that perfectly emulates summer. This pasta dish is simple, loaded with flavor and delicious enjoyed either warm or cold. To boost the nutritional profile without compromising the flavor I’ve used POW Green Lentil Pasta. My only recommendation would be to throw a bagged salad or other veggie on the side.
Because POW is made of lentils- it’s loaded with protein and fiber. This dish will leave you satisfied and is 100% vegetarian.
A few tips:
1) Watch your cooking time on the pasta- I start tasting it for doneness at 5 minutes. This is key to avoid a mushy end result.
2) While this dish does take less than 20 minutes to prepare, I do recommend letting the tomato/basil mixture marinate for a minimum of 2 hours. You can easy prep the mixture in 5 minutes in the morning and refrigerate while you are at work. Bonus- this will cut your prep down at dinner to about 10 minutes.
3) A drizzle of store-bought balsamic reduction and/or chili flakes take this dish to the next level.
Ingredients
2 cups of halved grape/cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped basil
8 oz dry pasta (I recommend 1 box of POW Green Lentil)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 oz can of sliced black olives, drained
store bought balsamic reduction (optional)
chili flakes to taste (optional)
Method
Mix tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil together in a medium sized bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
20 minutes prior to eating, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook pasta per box directions, tasting for doneness 1-2 minutes prior to recommended time.
Drain pasta and add back to pot. Add tomato/basil mixture, mozzarella and black olives if desired.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and/or chili flakes if desired.