Red Lentil Pasta Salad

 

Red Lentil Pasta Salad

This colourful and healthy Red Lentil Pasta Salad makes it a perfect combination of health and taste buds. It is made with red lentil pasta which has gluten free and rich in protein and taste filling and tasty. Served fresh with vegetables and canola vinaigrette, spices added to this salad gives a crisp feeling to the users’ taste buds with every mouthful. Great for a light lunch, a side order, or to take to work this is full of good fiber, vitamins, and goodness stemming from the plants.

Ingredients

Cherry Tomatoes	180 g
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	2 tsp
Salt	to taste
Black Pepper	to taste
Red Lentil Pasta	140 g
Shiitake Mushrooms	170 g
Hazelnuts	60 g
Capers	1 tbsp
Kalamata Olives	70 g
Fresh Basil Leaves	to taste

 

Step 1

Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them with 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Then season them with salt and black pepper to taste.

Transfer them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Roast the tomatoes for 20 minutes at 190°C (375°F) if you're using a fan oven or at 210°C (410°F) for a static oven.

Flip them halfway through cooking time to get them nicely browned on both sides.

Then, remove them from the oven and set aside.

Step 2

In the meantime, cook the gluten-free red lentil pasta. Add it to a pan of salted boiling water and simmer for 6 minutes or follow packet instructions.

Once the pasta is cooked but firm to the bite, drain it and set it aside.

Step 3

Next, roast sliced shiitake mushrooms onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper for 7-10 minutes at 190°C (375°F) for fan ovens or at 210°C (410°F) for static oven.

Then, remove the excess water released during cooking.

Now, add chopped hazelnuts, the remaining ​1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, and capers to the tray with the mushrooms.

Roast the ingredients for further 10 minutes until they are fragrant and browned.

Step 4

In a salad bowl, combine the cooked red lentil pasta, the roasted tomatoes and mushrooms.

Add pitted black olives, like Kalamata olives, and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Give it all a good stir, and you're ready to enjoy this delicious Italian pasta salad.