Chickpea Pasta Lunch Salad

Ingredients

• 8 Ounce Dry rotini pasta made without egg - 8 ounces (226 grams), 226 grams equivalent listed in recipe text.
• 1 Can Canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained - 1 can (15 ounces), rinsed and drained
• 1 Cup Cherry tomatoes, quartered - 1 cup, Cut into small bite-size pieces.
• 1 Cup Cucumber, diced - 1 cup, Cut into small bite-size pieces.
• 1 Cup Frozen peas - 1 cup, Added during the last minute of pasta cooking.
• 3 Tablespoon Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
• 0.25 Teaspoon Garlic powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• 0.5 Teaspoon Fine salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• 0.13 Teaspoon Black pepper - 1/8 teaspoon

Instructions

1. Prep the vegetables and chickpeas

   1. *Rinse and drain the chickpeas*, *quarter the cherry tomatoes*, and *dice the cucumber* into small bite-size pieces.

2. Cook the pasta and peas

   2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the rotini, and *cook on the stovetop* for *8 to 10 minutes* until tender. Add the frozen peas during the *last 1 minute* of cooking.

3. Drain and chill

   3. Drain the pasta and peas in a colander, then *rinse under cool water* until chilled and *shake off extra water*.

4. Mix the salad

   4. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to make a *mild dressing*. Add the pasta, peas, chickpeas, tomatoes, and cucumber, then *toss gently* until coated.

5. Pack and chill

   5. Portion into lunch containers and *refrigerate until packing*. Pack with an *ice pack* to keep the salad chilled.