I prefer food drama over daytime drama, so go ahead and put away all the mayhem of Monday and saddle up to this twisted bowl of @traderjoes black bean rotini. No gluten and practically zero effort for 15 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber…from the black bean pasta alone! Dig in friends, we got quite a week to power through…

I love a big bowl of pasta like anyone else. While I’m not gluten intolerant, I like to get more bang from my pasta with ingredients like black beans, chickpeas and lentils, which can boost the protein and fiber content. The body digests beans slower than meats, so dishes like this can keep you feeling full longer. This black bean pasta (rotini) from Trader Joe’s is gluten-free, organic and easy on the budget too at $2.99 for a 12 oz bag.

The noodles are dense with an earthy black bean flavor, so I wanted to contrast it with something a bit lighter and fresh. I found inspiration from caprese salad, using heirloom cherry tomatoes, which provide a pretty contrast to the black pasta. Paired with some fresh mozzarella and a little greenery from spring peas as well as edamame (mostly because I had some leftover in the freezer), this came together in about 20 minutes and was perfect after a busy Monday. Bonus: it’s good hot or cold, so guess who’s having this for lunch too?

Black Bean Pasta Salad
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
– 12 oz bag of Trader Joe’s Black Bean Rotini
– 1 pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes
– 1 cup of fresh or frozen spring peas
– 1 container of fresh mozzarella pearls
– Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
– Optional add-ins: arugula, edamame, Parmesan.

Directions:

Step 1: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a bowl. Follow package instructions to cook pasta. If using frozen peas, add the peas to the water with the pasta. Drain.

Step 2: Slice the mozzarella pears and cherry tomatoes in half.

Step 3: Toss the pasta, peas, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella together with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Optional sprinkle of Parmesan to finish.

Three simple steps, 20 minutes or less. Because it’s Monday and ain’t nobody got time to make dinner. Happy Meatless Monday!

Product image credit of Popsugar. Recipe images my own.

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