Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Greek Pasta Salad


Bring on the warm weather, bring on the pasta salad. The two go hand in hand, don't you think? If there is one food item that epitomizes summer, it would be cold pasta.

And ice cream.

And seviche.

And gazpacho.

Ok, ok, scratch that. The correct terminology is probably more like "If there is one of many food items that epitomize summer, it would be cold pasta". But that doesn't sound as cool, does it?


But in all seriousness, Greek food and summer are likethis. Greek food is light, yet heavy on veggies. Low in trans fat, yet high in heart-healthy saturated fats. Low in calories, high in flavor. You get the idea. Greek food is ideal for summer, where their standout flavors are rich olive oil, creamy feta cheese, and loads of crisp tomatoes and cucumbers. A squeeze of lemon here, a salty kalamata olive there. 

And then, there's hummus.


Hummus is not technically from Greece, but it goes divinely with Greek food. The two are always served together in our house. 

You might be noticing different pasta in some of the pictures. You are not going crazy. I actually combined pictures from 2 different batches of salad to make up this post. Mainly because that's true life here. I don't just make this salad with one type of pasta, I typically throw in whatever pasta I have on hand. Farfalle? Yes! Cavatappi? You betcha! Elbow macaroni? Bring it on! You could really think of this like a kitchen sink salad. Whatever you have on hand, toss it in! Capers, giardiniera, even a protein like chicken or shrimp could be added to this salad.

And, despite what I said, it doesn't have to be summer to eat this salad :)


So... I've been sitting here for, oh, about 45 minutes trying to think of something to write. Does that happen to other bloggers? Ugh. This always seems to happen when I have an appointment looming that I need to get to. My writing schedule got a little wonky this week due to the holiday. I was actually going to post my Spring centerpiece Sunday morning, post a food recipe on Monday, and then take Tuesday off, write on Wednesday. The Sunday post never happened, pushing Sunday to Monday, and Monday to Tuesday, and Tuesday to...

Well, I just took a peek at tomorrow's schedule. An 8 am doctor's appointment. For the love. Needless to say, there will be no posting tomorrow. No Google "plussing", no FaceBooking, no pinning. Just no. 

Which means, I have to think of something to say today. So I can hoard my early morning winks tomorrow. 


And what do you know? It's already the end of the post :) 

I'll leave y'all with an idea of what I'm working on today, food wise-


This pepperoni pizza dip I made for Easter


I hope everyone has a delicious Wednesday!


Ingredients (serves 4-6):

Dressing-
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
14 tsp pepper

Salad-
8 ounces pasta, cooked and rinsed under cold water
3 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, halved
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
5-6 pepperoncinis, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare dressing- in a small bowl, combine red wine vinegar through pepper. Whisk to combine. Set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, combine pasta through parsley. Drizzle dressing over salad, toss to combine. Serve immediately. 


Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
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10 comments:

  1. I've been known to make a pasta salad from bits of pasta left in bags!

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    1. I also find pasta salads a great place to get rid of lots of leftovers. Almost anything will go in a pasta salad! :)

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  2. This sounds so good, and yes it is the definition of summer! Grill some chicken breasts and serve pasta salad. This one has all my favorites. Pinning so I can make it again and again! Thanks.

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    1. Thanks Nikki! I agree, this would go perfectly with grilled chicken! I hope you enjoy the recipe, have a great weekend! :)

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  3. Dangggg- I have what you might call a "weakness for the Greekness" and this is CALLING MY NAME!!! Thank you so much for bringing your recipe to Snickerdoodle Sunday- hope you'll join us again this weekend!

    Sarah (Sadie Seasongoods)

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    1. Sarah- I LOVE that expression. A weakness for the Greekness! It's perfect, and I'll admit I share the same weakness! :)

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  4. Ohhh delish! I love pasta salads and this has "New Favorite" written all over it! I love adding fresh herbs in the spring and summer as they start to grow and thrive, adds something special. Appreciate your sharing with Snickerdoodle Sunday!

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    1. This salad would be over-the-top with garden fresh produce, like tomatoes and cucumbers. Fresh parsley. And I really feel like this salad is screaming for fresh oregano or basil. Love gardening season!! :) Have a great day!

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  5. My honey has been asking for a pasta salad lately, so this is perfect timing :)

    Oh and yes, I get writers block a lot.

    xo

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    1. Perfect timing, yes! I hope he (and you!) like the recipe! :)

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