Now that the weather’s warming up, it’s high time for the season of picnics, grill-outs, and patio parties to begin! Finally!!
So to celebrate, I thought it was only appropriate to cool off some hot pasta, toss it with a bunch of fresh and zesty ingredients, and toss it in a bowl that’s perfect for passing around the picnic. That’s right, I made you some pasta salad!
Because if memory serves me right, you all sure seem to love a good pasta salad. Last time I checked, my favorite 5-Ingredient Pasta Salad was still one of the top recipes on this site (and one of my all-all-all-time favorites). Not to mention this spring-y Asparagus & Arugula Pasta Salad , or this lightened-up Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad , or this sweet Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad , that you also have seemed to enjoy. So for something new this year, I thought I’d try a simple Mediterranean twist on the classic pasta salad, chocked full of fresh veggies and olives, sprinkles with plenty of feta, and tossed in a zesty lemon-herb vinaigrette.
The ingredients for the salad were pretty straightforward:
- lots of fresh cucumber (I went with an English cucumber, so that you don’t have to mess with seeding it)
- ripe cherry tomatoes (or you could use sun-dried tomatoes)
- thinly- sliced red onion (feel free to soak it in cold water beforehand if you want a less onion-y taste)
- feta cheese galore (I used reduced-fat)
- your favorite kind of pasta
Then just whip up a simple lemon-herb vinaigrette to give it a fresh and flavorful kick…
…toss it up…
Yield: 6-8 servings
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
This Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe is quick and easy to make, it’s tossed with a zesty lemon-herb vinaigrette, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser!
- 12 ounces dry pasta (I used farfalle)
- 1 English (hot house) cucumber, diced
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2/3 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- half of a medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- lemon-herb vinaigrette (see below)
Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey (or your desired sweetener)
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
To Make The Mediterranean Pasta Salad:
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of generously-salted water according to package instructions. Drain pasta, then rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Add cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion to the mixing bowl, then drizzle all of the vinaigrette evenly on top. Toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra feta and black pepper if desired.
To Make The Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette:
- Whisk all ingredients together until combined.
Cook time does not include the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta.
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Article source: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/mediterranean-pasta-salad/
