Mediterranean Pasta Bowls

February 6, 2023 Kirby Gibbs

A Mediterranean Diet has been named the best way of eating for the sixth year in a row.

This means choosing meals that consist of whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables, seafood, lean poultry and unsaturated fat from extra-virgin olive oil. Eating this way is budget friendly, planet friendly and family friendly!

Enter the Mediterranean Pasta Bowl

One of my family’s favorite Mediterranean recipes is a loaded pasta bowl. I toss brown rice pasta with pesto and shredded chicken and then we top our bowls with a variety of vegetables: roasted broccoli, cherry or sundried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, black or greek olives, roasted red peppers and capers. Even if my pickiest eater doesn’t want to add a thing to his bowl, I know he’s getting a healthy dinner of whole grain pasta, chicken and basil/garlic pesto. There are so many delicious pesto options you can find in stores or you can easily make your own to accommodate any dietary concerns.

Protein Options

We make this dish with chicken and there are lots of ways to make healthy chicken in a hurry! Kevin’s Natural Foods (https://www.kevinsnaturalfoods.com/products/roasted-garlic-chicken) has a yummy garlic chicken that works well with Mediterranean pasta bowls and takes less than 5 minutes to make. You can find Kevin’s at Aldi, Costco, and Target to name a few. Your family might prefer chicken grilled, baked or slow cooked. Anything works here! Most days I prefer to pressure cook chicken because the Instant Pot will do the hard work for me and I can leave it on warm until we’re ready to eat! You could also make this dish with shrimp or other seafood as well as white beans for a vegetarian option.

To make shredded chicken in your instant pot: Add ¼ cup butter and ¾ cup chicken stock to your instant pot. Add 1 pound frozen chicken. Season with ¼ tsp table salt, ¼ tsp garlic salt, ¼ tsp lemon pepper, and ¼ tsp paprika. Close the lid, close the steam valve, and set the pressure cooker to 20 minutes. Make sure “keep warm” is turned on.

While the chicken is cooking, turn on the oven broiler, wash and chop broccoli, then boil the water for your pasta. My kids prefer penne or corkscrew noodles because they’re easy to pick up with a fork. There are so many nutritious options these days with lentils, quinoa, corn and rice pastas, which are especially good if you have a gluten diet restriction in your house. I’m a big fan of Tinkyada brown rice noodles (https://www.tinkyada.com/) as well as Banza Chickpea Pasta (https://www.eatbanza.com/ ).

Veggies & Add Ons

Toss broccoli with olive oil, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 8-10 minutes or to desired doneness. Meanwhile, boil pasta as directed on the package.

When the chicken has finished cooking, release the steam from the pressure cooker and open the lid. There will be a good amount of liquid left in the pot, and your pasta will absorb it all up! Using a handheld mixer, shred the chicken for 30-45 seconds. When the pasta is done cooking, drain and add to the instant pot with chicken. Add a large spoonful of pesto, more or less as desired. Toss to coat.

Divide pasta and chicken mixture into bowls and allow everyone to add their favorite toppings. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper, flaky salt and crushed red pepper flakes.