Colorful Pasta Salad

We were asked to bring a salad to a church activity recently. Voila! Recipe inspired by Taste of Home and modified to fit our tastes/pantry.

• 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 sweet pepper, diced
• 1-2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• mozzarella cheese (can be cubed and mixed in with the salad or grated as a topping)

Cook the pasta. In one bowl, whisk up the garlic, spices, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. When the pasta's done, rinse it under cold water and toss it with the dressing, the chickpeas, and the chopped pepper. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours, or overnight. Top with grated mozzarella and serve!


I really, really liked this a lot. The oregano is just great in it, and the flavors get better on the second day after making it. Overall, it's really healthy and tasty and great for summer when a hot dinner is the last thing you want.