Now that it’s officially unofficially summer (ha – see what I did there?), all I have on the mind is fresh, cold summer salads.
I’ve been craving my Italian Zucchini Pasta Salad, but haven’t been eating much meat lately, so I decided to put a vegetarian and Mediterranean spin on it.
My favorite thing to do during the week is stop by the farmer’s market (with my Inspiralized tote bag of course!) and pick up fresh zucchini, mozzarella, tomatoes, and greens and come home, douse it all with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil, maybe shove an avocado in there, and call it a meal.
It’s the most satisfying type of meal to eat during those super hot summer months! In fact, my goal this summer season is to come up withĀ as many cold noodle salads as possible, to equip us with fresh veggie meals to eat whenĀ the temps keep rising.
I’m starting with this Mediterranean Zucchini Pasta Salad. This salad is easy to whip up and includes both fresh and pantry items, for time saving (let’s be honest – once summer hits, we want to spend less and less time in the kitchen.)
I use my favorite canned tomatoes, Tuttorosso Tomatoes, hereĀ but if you’re making this and have some fresh tomatoes you need to make use of, dice them up and add them in place of the canned variety. I have to say, Tuttorosso’s canned tomatoes can sometimes be better than the fresh kind!
The salty feta and soft artichokes pair amazingly with the light red wine and oregano vinaigrette and everything together softens up the longer it all sits together, as the acids from the lemon juice and vinegar “cook” the raw vegetables.
Stay tuned for more fresh, spiralized summer salads!
Note: This post was sponsored by Tuttorosso Tomatoes. As always, all opinions are my own.
Now you can watch a cooking video of this recipe:
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 8Ā points
*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.
Mediterranean Zucchini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 1 small red onion peeled
- 1 14.5oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/2 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
- 1 cup drained and rinsed canned chickpeas
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- For the dressing:
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients for the dressing into a bowl and whisk together.
- Slice the zucchinis halfway through lengthwise, careful not to pierce through the center. Spiralize the zucchinis with Blade C and add to a large mixing bowl. Grab the onion and again, slice halfway through lengthwise, careful not to pierce through the center. Spiralize the onion with Blade A and add half of the noodles to the bowl with the zucchini noodles and save the rest for future use. Then add in the artichokes, olives, chickpeas, feta, and diced tomatoes.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the zucchini salad and toss well to combine. Serve or refrigerate for future use.
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