Have you ever tried quinoa pasta? I hadn’t before I made this pasta salad. I won a contest from a brand called GoGo Quinoa and they sent me a big box of some of their products, including quinoa pastas.

I thought a nice use of the pasta would be in a pasta salad. I love pasta and I love salads, so combining them together makes a great meal. I mixed the cooked pasta with fresh cucumber, bell pepper and carrot, plus a bright vinaigrette. I didn’t want to make things too complicated, so I kept this pasta salad pretty simple.

The veggies added lots of colour and crunch to the dish so it was great with the soft (al dente) pasta. I wanted the dressing to give a pop of flavour so I used an equal ratio of oil to acid (red wine vinegar and lemon juice), but I added the maple syrup to balance it out. I also seasoned it with oregano and chili flakes for a touch of greek flare.

This salad was so delicious and fresh. The quinoa pasta was surprisingly good on its own too – I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. It tastes pretty much like regular semolina pasta but it is a great gluten-free option. I can’t wait to cook with the other packs of pasta that I received.

You can obviously use any pasta you wish, just cook it according to the directions on the package, and follow the recipe as written. I know you will love this dish 🙂 .

Ingredients:

• 227g short pasta (I used quinoa pasta but can sub any other kind)
• 2/3 cup each: diced cucumber, pepper, carrot
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp pepper 

Directions:

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and toss in large mixing bowl. Combine with chopped vegetables. Set aside.
2. In small bowl or measuring cup, mix all remaining ingredients – this is the dressing.
3. Pour over pasta and vegetables and toss to get everything coated.
4. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.