Quinoa Pasta with Red Beans & Olive Tapenade

The best way to describe this pasta is to say that it is bursting with flavor. Between olives, garlic, cilantro, onions and tomatoes each bite is something new and exciting. It’s also fairly quick to throw together, so it makes a great weekday dinner.

Ever since I discovered pasta made from Quinoa I’ve been quite infatuated with it. The noodles are gluten-free and taste amazing. Click here to see the brand I use.

Here’s what you need:

• 8 oz box if rottelle quinoa pasta
• 1 can Kidney Beans
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into half moons (totally optional so if you hate onions then just leave them out (Bryn!))
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

For the Tapenade:

• 1 1/2 cups kalamata olives, pitted
• 3 Tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro (about 2/3 a cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• Dash of pepper
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Prepare the tapenade: Throw all the tapenade ingredients into your food proccessor and blend until fully combined.
2. Drain and rinse the kidney beans, then place in a small saucepan, fill with water to cover the beans and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Drain the water and save the beans.
3. Prepare the quinoa pasta according to the directions on the package. While that boils, saute the onions in the olive oil until tender, about 5 mins, then throw the cherry tomatoes in for a couple of minutes.
4. Once the pasta is fully cooked and drained, combine the pasta, olive tapenade, kidney beans and the onion and tomatoes into one large bowl. Enjoy!

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