Recipe: Lazy Mediterranean-Style Pasta Salad

Summer has officially arrived and with it the dreaded humidity! It's too hot to cook, but if you can cope with a pot of boiling water for 8 minutes, I promise you a delicious and healthy and diabetic/keto-friendly (and super easy to make!) pasta salad! But first, a little background:

Nutritional science hasn't always fascinated me. As a Biology student, I preferred to study ecology and evolution - the things about our environment that helped life to grow and thrive; the whole "survival of the fittest" theory and how it touched upon so many aspects of our lives. This fascination eventually wound its way around to nutritional science and how adaptations to our individual diets can lead to better health.

Because I have Hashimoto's disease - autoimmune hypothyroidism - I cannot eat soy protein. Furthermore, I need to limit my intake of cruciferous vegetables - no more than twice a week - because they can prevent the absorption of iodine which would further exacerbate my thyroid issues. My one attempt at going vegan - for health reasons, not philosophical ones - left me dangerously malnourished. I share this because the world needs to know that not every "healthy" diet is right for everyone. Finding the right diet for you can make a world of difference in your health.

Because my endocrine system is some kind of rebel without a cause, I am also diabetic. Again, an autoimmune issue and not the result of an unhealthy lifestyle, but that does not change the fact that I can't always eat what I want when I want it...at least not if I want to stay healthy. I used to think this meant I had to strictly limit my grain consumption and altogether eliminate foods like pasta, beans, potatoes, and rice due to their high starch content; then I discovered something called resistant starch and my whole world changed for the better.

Resistant starch, according to Johns Hopkins University sources, is "a carbohydrate that resist digestion in the small intestine and ferments in the large intestine. As the fibers ferment they act as a prebiotic and feed the good bacteria in the gut." And guess what? The list of foods that contain - or can be prepared so as to convert regular starch to resistant starch - includes foods like beans, firm/unripe bananas, popcorn, uncooked oats, and traditional starches that have been cooked to an "al dente" texture and then cooled - I'm talking white rice, potatoes, and pasta! Bring it on!

Because I am the most immediate judge of what works and what does not work with my personal biochemistry, I have a tendency to use myself as my own guinea pig. I recently started adding resistant starches to my diet, starting with hummus and popcorn (not together!) and was pleasantly surprised to find my blood glucose would be lower 2 hours after eating than it was when I started - so low, I have had to lower my insulin dose to keep from going into a hypoglycemic state (on one particularly memorable occasion, I tested at 43 mg/dl). With these results in mind I branched out to pasta, prepared al dente and chilled, and was thrilled to discover that it had the same positive effect on my blood glucose as other resistant starches. Quick as a wink, I created the recipe I share with you now!

Lazy Mediterranean-Style Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz.) tri-color rotini pasta
1/2 cup of your favorite cooking/baking oil (I like toasted sesame oil)
2 tablespoons of your favorite vinegar

As much or as little as you want of the following:

Red onion
Artichoke hearts
Black olives
Sun-dried tomatoes
Italian seasoning mix
Grated Parmesan cheese

Optional Add-ins:

Cubed ham, pepperoni, or chorico
Crumbled bleu cheese
Diced pepperoncini
Marinated mushrooms (good source of Vitamin D!)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions for "firm" or "al dente" texture (usually 7 - 8 minutes); drain and rinse, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT oil and vinegar and (if using it) salt and pepper. Mix well, then add pasta, mixing again until well-blended. Add oil and vinegar and mix one last time until pasta is evenly coated. Add additional oil, if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix well. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving. Enjoy cold as a side dish, or reheat to serve as an entree.


KJM
06.25.2020