Garlicky Tomato & Feta Quinoa Pasta for the Entire Family

Interested in an incredibly delicious pasta dish that your whole family will love?

Mmm... SO good.

You’ve found it!

This garlicky tomato & feta dish is full of bold flavors and interesting textures. It’s also one of my twin toddlers’ absolute favorites.

Fact: Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963. Sadly, so many of them are overfed, but STILL undernourished.

Not only is this dish nutritious, it only takes 15 minutes to make.

Maybe even 10 minutes if you chop fast.

Ryan's a fan!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1. Quinoa Pasta (cook according to package’s instructions)  (Nutrition Info | The Brand We Use & Love)
2. 3 Cups Tomatoes, (Diced)
3. 1 Avocado
4. 1-3 Cloves of Garlic (Depending on your family’s taste; I use 4)
5. 5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6. 1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
7. 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
8. 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil (If you don’t have fresh, dried is fine. Just sprinkle to taste)
9. A couple of dashes of Sea Salt

Optional: Black Olives, Alfalfa Sprouts, Coarse Black Pepper

PREPARATION:

• Cook your pasta per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Add olive oil and diced garlic to a skillet. Using medium-high heat, lightly toast the garlic. (This should take just a couple of minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic or use too-high heat. The heat will destroy a lot of the nutritive benefits of the olive oil.)
• After the garlic is toasted,  remove pan from heat and pour the oil and garlic into a large bowl.
• Transfer drained noodles, diced tomatoes, basil, avocado, feta cheese & lemon juice to the bowl. Sprinkle in sea salt.
• Toss & taste. If you feel it needs more sea salt, add a little more salt. If it needs more lemon juice, you can add more of that, too.

This recipe makes about 4 servings.

FACTS ABOUT THE FOODS IN THIS DISH

• Quinoa is an excellent source of high-quality protein. It’s also more iron-rich than other grains and contains high levels of potassium and riboflavin, as well as B6, niacin, and thiamin. What’s more, it’s a good source of magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese–which essentially means that it kicks any wheat pasta’s butt, refined or otherwise.
• The lycopene in tomatoes has been shown to help protect not only against prostate, but breast, pancreatic and intestinal cancers, especially when consumed with fat-rich foods, such as avocado, olive oil or nuts.
• Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit & also contain more potassium than bananas. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin K and folate.
• Garlic provides numerous cardiovascular benefits, and is high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, selenium and manganese.

(Btw, have you noticed the green print-friendly button towards the bottom of this page? It’s at the bottom of all of my pages & makes printing recipes a breeze!)

Let me know what you think!

Enjoy,