Doula Dacia’s fresh, delicious and super easy pasta salad is great for nourishing postpartum bodies. Mix up a batch and snack for days!

Bumpin’ Bites: Crazy Easy Pasta Salad

Total Cooking time: About 30 mins

Serves: 5 generously 

Ingredients 

• Boxed pasta of your choice, I use red lentil pasta

• 1 bunch fresh spinach

• 1 cup fresh arugula

• 1 pt grape tomatoes

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 red onion

• 1 large cucumber

• 1 bunch basil leaves

• Protein of your choice

• 1/3 cup avocado (or olive) oil

• 1/4 balsamic vinegar

• 1 large lemon juiced

• 2 tbs minced garlic

• 1/4 cup crumbled feta

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by boiling your pasta, keep an eye on the speed and temp of the boil while you work on prepping your other ingredients. Once pasta is done let cool until it is only slightly warm (3-5 mins). 

Chop and rinse your spinach and arugula and place in large colander or bowl.

Quarter grape tomatoes and add to bowl.

Cut top and bottom from bell pepper. Then slice bell pepper into thin strips and dice and set aside. Dice red onion. Add both red onion and bell pepper to bowl with spinach mix. 

Half and quarter cucumber. Then chop into medium sized dice and add to bowl with other ingredients. 

Thinly julienne basil leaves, add as much or as little as you’d like! 

Prep and add your protein. I used a chicken leg from the previous nights rotisserie chicken. Once your protein is cut into bite sized pieces, add to bowl with other salad ingredients. 

Incorporate all items including pasta into spinach mix together and set aside. 

Start making your salad dressing!

 I like to make dressing in a 2 cup measuring cup for simplicity. If you do not have one you can still whatever vessel you’d like just measure all your ingredients. 

• Start by adding ⅓ cup avocado or olive oil. 

• Add ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and mix. 

• Juice and add juice of 1 large lemon to oil mixture. 

• Spoon in 2 cloves of minced garlic. You can freshly mince your garlic if you’d like, to make things quick and easy I used pre minced garlic. 

Stir all dressing  ingredients together and pour over the salad mixture. Incorporate dressing and salad mixture together, ensuring that everything is well coated in your fresh dressing. 

Top with crumbled feta. Taste your dish to see if you would like to add salt and pepper. I usually add salt and pepper to my dressing mixture and just eyeball it. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking. 

Once all ingredients and components are together, enjoy the product of your labor! This meal is packed with vitamins and minerals that are important to overall wellness and postpartum healing and pregnancy support. 

If you make this recipe I’d love to know your thoughts and what adaptation you make to create something uniquely for you!