GLUTEN-FREE VEGETARIAN TANGY LINDSAY OLIVE & TOMATO PASTA SALAD

When Wendy of Celiacs in the House asked if I would be up for doing a gluten-free adaptation of a recipe using Lindsay Olives, I said, sure, I love olives. Especially since it's now possible to get color-free and preservative-free olives from Lindsay: their new “Naturals". The olives I used for this salad were sweet, not at all bitter or overly salty, qualities I'd always associated with green olives. A very pleasant surprise, indeed!

The recipe I chose to adapt is Lindsay's

Herbed Olive and Double Tomato Summer Pasta Salad

I'm calling my version the

Tangy Olive and Tomato Pasta Salad

At a Glance:

Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
12 minutes
Servings:
6

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free brown rice penne pasta, uncooked
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Lindsay® Green Ripe Medium Pitted Naturals
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup diced sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

While the pasta cooks, spread an oiled baking pan with the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano. Toss every few minutes. Roast until skins begin to wrinkle.

Place the diced sundried tomatoes in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water for five minutes. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix oil, vinegar, mustard and pepper with a fork or whisk until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and pasta; toss well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour for flavors to blend.

The sweetness of the olives works so well with the tang of the goat cheese, while the combination of sun dried and roasted tomatoes adds its own complexity. Colorful in the bowl, and on the taste buds, too!

My thanks to Lindsay for sponsoring this post and providing the delicious olives.