It's hard to narrow down what I consider my essential kitchen staples. When faced with the question of what I consider my top cooking essential, I though, well Olive Oil, of course. Can't. Live. Without. It.

But then I thought- pasta, garlic, feta? All of them complete my life. So here they are, together...and they'll remain my kitchen essentials from here on out. TBH, I never thought of myself as pasta salad person, mostly because every recipe I've tried felt like a heaping pile of mayo on my plate, you know? Enter: Mediterranean Pasta Salad. All the Mediterranean essentials, sans mayo. This pasta salad travels well (it can hang in your cooler for a few hours at the beach) & be the perfect accoutrement to a charcuterie board. Get crazy and add some grilled chicken to top it off and you've got yourself a perfect summer meal. One last thing, if you add balsamic glaze I don't think you'll be sorry. Your welcome :)

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 C Cooked Fussili Pasta

• 1 C Garbanzo Beans, Rinsed & Drained

• 1/2 C Thin Sliced Cucumber

• 1/2 C Cherry Tomatoes, Halved

• 1/4 C Diced Red Onion

• 1/4 C Feta Cheese, Crumbled

• 2-3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 TB Italian Seasoning

• Squeeze of Lemon

• Salt + Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. To cook pasta, bring 2 c water to a boil, add 1 c dry pasta, cook to al dente (about 8-10 minutes), drain and rinse

2. Rinse and drain garbanzo beans

3. Add chopped vegetables, feta, olive oil and seasoning

4. Stir pasta, vegetable mixture, oil + seasoning together

5. Squeeze fresh lemon over dish, serve + enjoy!