Mix-A-Mato Tomato and Pesto Pasta Salad

This is an ideal meal prep dish that can be eaten warm or cold as a salad – whether it's at your desk for lunch or as I like to daydream about, lunch by the pool. The Mix-a-mato® tomatoes are an awesome colour pop and the blend of flavours from all the different tomato varieties makes this dish a standout.

Serves: 2
Cook time: 15 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups spiral pasta, uncooked
½ cup Broccolini® chopped
1 tablespoon basil pesto
½ cup Mix-a-Mato® tomatoes, halved
5-10 whole Kalamata olives, pitted
1 cup baby spinach
1 small zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon pepita seeds

Method
Make your pesto!
Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
Heat a medium pan with a splash of olive oil over medium high heat. Place Broccolini® and zucchini into the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then add olives, baby spinach and Mix-a-Mato® tomatoes. Toss for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes have begun to soften.
Add cooked pasta into the pan and toss to warm through. Add pesto to the pan and mix through. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and pepita seeds over the top.

Leah Itsines' Five Top Ways To Refresh Your Meal Prep For Summer With Mix-A-Mato®

Fresh flavours and bright colours make the new Mix-a-Mato® tomato variety punnets a quick hack for transforming your favourite meal prep dishes from winter go-tos to summer stand-outs. 

Mix-a-mato® is a combination of brightly coloured tomatoes in yellow, orange, red and brown. These small, glasshouse-grown tomatoes range in flavour from super sweet to deep and rich. 

Launched by Perfection Fresh this month, the Mix-a-Mato® punnets were created after trialling hundreds of tomatoes varieties and selecting the ideal combination for their colour, flavour and texture. 

Meal prep expert and cookbook author Leah Itsines said Mix-a-mato® tomatoes were the perfect pop of colour to give your meal prep dishes a healthy, summer refresh. 

"I'm always looking for quick hacks to add summer flavours to my favourite meal prep dishes, so they work year round," said the founder of the BARE guide, a meal prep guide for healthy eating. "Mix-a-Mato® tomatoes and fresh herbs are great flavours to transform winter favourites, like pastas and one-tray bakes, with a summer zing. 

"As well as bursts of flavour, Mix-a-Mato® tomatoes instantly add bright summer colours that take an everyday meal to Insta-worthy without any fuss. Win: win." 

Here are Leah Itsines' top five ways to refresh your meal prep for summer, using Mix-a-Mato® tomatoes: 

Herby salsas – Light herbs like coriander, basil and parsley are in abundance in summer and they pair perfectly with tomatoes to add zesty summer flavours to your favourite meals. I love prepping a Mixa-Mato® and herb salsa so that I have it handy to top grilled salmon for dinner (I live on this dish), on sourdough for lunch, or even on eggs at brekkie. 

Roasted and ready - It may be getting warmer but that doesn't mean you have to give up on your roast veggies. Roasting a tray of vegetables is one of the easiest things to do, when it comes to meal prep. For a summer switch, throw roast veggies into a spinach salad with a light dressing and some crumbled feta - perfect for lunch! My big tip for roast vegetables is to always add a handful of Mix-amato® tomatoes on top - they burst with flavour when roasting and stop the veggies from drying out. 

Salad staples - Simple salads are a winning summer dish to add to your meal rotation as they take hardly any prep time! My two minute, go-to is Mix-a-Mato® tomatoes cut in half and mixed with mozzarella cheese, basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Done! This is a delicious light salad that is packed full of flavour, keeps well for lunchtime leftovers, and is pretty enough for weekend get togethers. 

Chill'n pastas – Pasta is another great base for meal prepping that switches from winter to summer with ease. To keep my pasta light for summer, I load up on pesto and add Mix-aMato® tomatoes for gorgeous, bright summer colours and tastes. My Mix-a-Mato® tomato and pesto pasta salad is a meal prep regular that can be eaten warm or cold as a salad. I use it for lunches and dinners by the pool! 

All dressed up – Because it is a perfect mix of ripe tomatoes, Mix-a-Mato® really doesn't need much prep. In summer I like to keep any dressing light, think about combinations like citrus (not just lemon, try lime and orange too) simply paired with olive oil. 

Fresh produce and a light dressing sings summer. Mix-a-mato® tomatoes are available at your local supermarket or grocery store. Mix-a-Mato® tomatoes are best stored at room temperature away from direct sunlight