Description
Fresh summer pasta salad delivers crisp Mediterranean flavors that dance across your palate with zesty herbs and colorful vegetables. Cool pasta mingles with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and feta, promising a delightful lunch that refreshes and satisfies.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Cheese:
- 1 pound (16 ounces) pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Fresh Vegetables and Herbs:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 cup bell peppers (mixed colors), diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Olives, Seasonings, and Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water for 8-10 minutes until perfectly al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water to halt cooking process, then set aside to cool completely.
- Dice cucumber, bell peppers, and red onion into uniform bite-sized pieces to ensure balanced flavor distribution. Halve cherry tomatoes and slice olives to create varied textures throughout the salad.
- Crumble feta cheese into small, delicate pieces that will integrate seamlessly with other ingredients. Finely chop fresh parsley and basil to release their aromatic oils and enhance overall taste profile.
- Create vibrant dressing by whisking olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, garlic powder, and a touch of sugar until smooth and fully emulsified. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to amplify flavor complexity.
- Combine cooled pasta with prepared vegetables in a spacious mixing bowl. Gently pour dressing over the mixture, using folding motions to coat ingredients evenly without crushing delicate components.
- Refrigerate salad for minimum 60 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and intensify. Before serving, stir gently, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled for maximum refreshment.
Notes
- Choose short pasta shapes like rotini or penne that capture dressing and vegetables easily for better flavor distribution.
- Rinse pasta with cold water immediately after cooking to stop the cooking process and prevent mushy texture, ensuring a crisp bite.
- Seed cucumbers before dicing to reduce excess water and maintain salad’s crispness and prevent watery consistency.
- Opt for fresh herbs instead of dried for brighter, more vibrant flavor profile and enhanced overall taste of the summer pasta salad.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 472 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 395 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg