PROTEIN PASTA SALAD

With the weather feeling warmer this past weekend, I wanted to make a lighter meal to get me ready for Spring! ☀️ Pasta salad is usually something that’s packed with carbs and heavy dressings. Using edamame pasta instead of regular pasta bumps up the protein, while still including some of those essential carbohydrates. ‍♂️ You can also use any/all the vegetables you want to get lots of different essential vitamins and minerals  

Servings: 8

Calories per serving: 281 cal

Protein per serving: 25 g

Carbs per serving: 24 g

Ingredients:

4 oz edamame spaghetti (I used Simply Nature brand)

4 chicken sausage links (I used Never Any’s tomato basil flavor)

2 oz turkey pepperoni

½ cup light balsamic vinaigrette - or honey balsamic vinaigrette from last week’s steak salad

1 oz grated Parmesan cheese

1 can low-sodium black beans

1 container cherry tomatoes

4 small colored peppers

1 large cucumber

½ cup carrots

3 eggs (hard boiled)

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables by chopping peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, and carrots. Add chopped vegetables into a large bowl, then drain and rinse black beans and add those to the bowl.

2. While chopping vegetables, boil eggs: add eggs and water to a large pot and place on stovetop over medium-high heat.  When water starts to boil, remove pot from heat and let sit for 15 mins. Then remove eggs from water, peel eggs, chop, and add to bowl with vegetables. 

3. Cook chicken sausage in skillet over medium high heat, then slice, and add to bowl. Chop turkey pepperoni and add to bowl. 

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, then strain and rinse with cold water. Add pasta to bowl with vegetables, and then add vinaigrette and Parmesan to bowl, mix well, and enjoy!

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