Today’s green pasta party and $300 giveaway – woot woot! – is sponsored by Oliviers and Co., makers of olive oil, vinegar, and most importantly, that heavenly basil spread.
Sometimes I need, want, just completely love green foods. This is one of those major big times since I’m still coming down from two weeks of vacation where, for me, green foods take a back seat to grilled pork and freshly caught and fried Walleye tacos. So I’m ready, guys. Bring me the green things!
This pasta salad contains 1-2-3-4-5 fresh, healthy ingredients assuming that olive oil and salt don’t count towards my total cause you’re nice like that. Can we just make those freebies? Five is such a nice number for my bouncy grocery store mind.
Favorite thing about simple recipes (hi, five ingredient green pasta salad): the higher the quality of the ingredients, the fewer ingredients you really need because the flavor of even just one ingredient is so over-the-moon-delicious. This pasta salad, which – side note – would be perfect warmed up for dinner OR eaten cold for lunch as I can assure you from experiencing both! features a few of those high quality ingredients alongside a few grocery store basics.
I have always had this thing about high quality olive oil – if I’m going to use the really good stuff, I want to TASTE it. So in this here salad, I took some Oliviers and Co. olive oil and drizzled it over the top, cold, pure, right on the greens, just before diving in so I could really fully taste and appreciate the joy. As in j to the o to the y.
It’s tempting for an ingredient and flavor obsessed girl like me to make this a one-million-foods-in-a-bowl-party, but there’s no need to get wild and crayzee with the food shenanigans. This is food minimalism at its best: just really high quality, delicious vegetables and herbs in a big bowl of summer freshness drizzled with beautiful olive oil that has flavor you can taste.
PS. Me = dipping my face in that bowl. You = wondering if I’m serious. I am.
You know those nibbly little pasta tubes? Yes – THOSE ones. Bring them on.
This pasta salad fiesta starts with the baby pasta tubulars getting tossed up with green beans which are obviously cut in a copycat shape of pasta tubes because matchy-matchy is funnnn. The green continues with some chopped up spinach, a handful of Parmesan, and then the best thing happens: Oliviers & Co. basilic – basil and olive oil spread comes a’calling.
This is where Oliviers and Co. gives us a hand: this company makes what is considered some of the world’s best olive oil, probably because they are involved in every step of the olive oil process, from overseeing family farms throughout Europe, to the mills, bottling facilities, and ultimately to its boutiques. We’re talking about grove-to-table products here. Two thumbs up!
And one of their most wonderful olive oil products (which I got to sample and then: true story: I had to email them and ask for another jar for this here recipe partnership because the first one was gone in about 2 hours) is the Oliviers & Co. basilic basil and olive oil spread that I’m using as a sort of dressing in this recipe. In addition to using it for this salad, I’ve also shmeared it all over my poached egg and avocado toasts on several occasions – which reminds me, would it be weird to have that for both breakfast and lunch today? – and put it on, wait for it, PIZZA. The fact that it’s not traditional pesto (no nuts, no garlic, nothing besides basil and the most pure, beautiful olive oil) makes it extremely versatile. And yummy. *licks fingers*
Alright, I think it’s time for me to leave you and the five ingredient green pasta salad alone for a little while. It’s fantastically, wonderfully simple. If you don’t make this or your own local summertime variation of it within 24 hours, you are a food criminal and your punishment involves lunch at my house where we sit outside and drink Pellegrino and eat this salad with an extra scoop of Parmesan. Mmk?
Five Ingredient Simple Green Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This Five Ingredient Green Pasta Salad is fresh, healthy and delicious with just five simple ingredients. New favorite? Yes!
Ingredients
The Essentials:
- 2 cups cooked small tubular pasta
- 2 cups chopped green beans
- 2 cups shredded spinach
- 1 jar Oliviers and Co. basilic – basil and olive oil spread
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
- fresh lemon juice to taste
The Extras:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup Oliviers and Co. olive & basil oil
- ¼ cup Oliviers and Co. organic balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Toss the cooked pasta with a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking (and to make it extra yummy). Heat a little bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans and the garlic cloves (if using, which I recommend because it’s delicious) and saute quickly just until the garlic is fragrant and the green beans turn bright green and tender. Toss the green beans and garlic with the pasta. Place in the fridge to cool for 15-20 minutes otherwise you’ll wilt the spinach.
- When the pasta is cool, add the spinach, basil and olive oil spread, Parmesan, and salt. Toss, taste, and adjust as necessary. I like to serve each individual portion with a drizzle of the O&Co. olive oil and a splash of balsamic if you like a little tang in there.
Notes
I’ve also added bacon, tomatoes, chickpeas, fresh basil leaves, and other ingredients to jazz this up and use up whatever ingredients I have on hand – customize away! Also, for my vegheads out there, just replace or omit the Parmesan with a vegetarian-approved cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Keywords: green pasta salad, pasta salad recipe, healthy pasta salad
{This Giveaway Is Now Closed.}
Annnnd that’s a wrap! Thanks for checking in on the green pasta salad today, you most awesome readers and food lovers. I hope your first week of August has been fab and I hope your weekend includes some really really good food. XO