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    15 Minutes Mediterranean Pasta Salad

    This easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a delicious and nourishing summer dish which you can make in about 15 minutes. More than that, it’s also the perfect recipe for a delicious barbecue side dish.

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    Summer is here, which means it’s time to pull out the salad recipes from our arsenal.

    Yup, guns out foodies!

    I don’t know about you but during summer time my meat appetite skydives. I literally downsize my meat intake to almost nil. But meat provides the carbs we need to burn in order to keep up with our busy schedules, doesn’t it?

    So how can we take out the meat from our diets if it is like the fuel that keeps us burning?

    Well, we could replace the fuel with another one that’s equally efficient.

    But first, let me tell you a bit about my average day, so you can understand better the type of meals I need. I’ll keep it short, I don’t want to bore you or anything.

    Wake up at 8, cook, take photos, shoot videos, cook again, take more photos, shoot more videos and that keeps going until 6 pm when I have my Groove Cycle class starts.

    By the time this class starts, I should already be thinking about going to sleep. But you know what keeps me pumped up?

    Two things: Black Tea and Carbs. And when I say carbs, don’t think about burgers (although I very much like one from time to time).

    My favorite carbs usually come from pasta dishes.

    That’s why I made this easy pasta salad today. I wanted a healthy and nourishing meal that would provide me the much-needed energy.

    And of course, the recipe has to be super easy, ’cause who’s got time for more cooking, right? 🙂

    Believe it or not, I made this simple pasta salad recipe in just 15 minutes. For this reason, I call it the best pasta salad.

    Well, not just for this reason, but also because it’s crazy delish.

    And since it’s summer, I just couldn’t help myself from going Mediterranean with this pasta salad recipe. Actually, I kinda do that with most of my salads. For some reason, I really love cooking with Mediterranean ingredients.

    It might be my Greek origins shouting for some olive oil and Kalamatas 🙂 . Or maybe that’s just an excuse for spilling half the olive oil in the pasta salad :))

    This Mediterranean Pasta Salad is the perfect lunch idea because it offers the much-needed energy for the rest of your day, especially if you wake up early.

    Personally, I am not a huge fan of carbs rich breakfasts or dinners, so for me, it works best at lunch. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have it any time of the day. I guess it all depends on your particular diet and how you like your meals.

    You can also make this easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad as a side dish. It is perfect with barbecues, whether it’s chicken, fish or seafood. And I am sure everybody loves a good barbecue in the warm sunny days.

    If you are doing weekly meal preps, you can make large batches of this simple pasta salad. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Place it in air tight containers and take it with you at work, picnics or even family get-togethers.

    So if you’re looking for the best pasta salad recipe, look no further.

    This Mediterranean pasta salad recipe is super easy and crazy delish, which is what makes it the best.

    Even if you totally lack cooking skills, just follow the recipe below and learn how to make pasta salad in less than 15 minutes.

    Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe


    Cooking Time: 15 minutes
    Calories: 379 kcal

    INGREDIENTS:

    * 4 cups cooked pasta

    * 2 cups cucumber sliced

    * 2 medium yellow bell peppers diced

    * 1 1/2 cups Kalamata olives pitted

    * 1 cup shredded Parmesan

    * a handful bunch of fresh basil leaves

    * 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin

    * Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to your taste


    INSTRUCTIONS:

    # Place the cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl.

    # Add cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, Kalamata olives, basil leaves and parmesan.

    # Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season generously with salt and pepper.

    # Toss until well combined.

    # Serve right away, garnished with extra Parmesan and black pepper if desired.