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Greek Pasta Salad




Source of Recipe


Cake Mix Doctor


Recipe Introduction


I love this pasta salad; it’s so straightforward in flavor, easy to prepare, and pretty to look at. And, it’s interesting enough on the buffet table that it doesn’t get overlooked. Use whatever short pasta you’ve got in the pantry—shells, penne, or spirals. What makes the salad Greek is the seasonings—garlic, oregano, and mint—as well as the add-ins of kalamata olives, cucumbers, feta cheese, and tomatoes. Serve the salad from a nice ceramic bowl, and garnish it with pickled banana or cherry peppers or whole steamed and peeled shrimp. Or, just let the salad speak for itself.

Serves 8
Prep: 40 to 45 minutes




Recipe Link: http://cakemixdoctor.com

List of Ingredients




1 pound medium-size shell or other short pasta (4 cups)
Salt
2/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
2 small cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 1/2 cups chopped cucumber (2 medium-size or 1 large cucumber)
1 cup chopped red onion (1 medium-size onion)
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley
Pickled banana or cherry peppers or steamed shrimp (optional), for garnish




Recipe



Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the pasta and 1 teaspoon of salt, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook the pasta, uncovered, according to the package directions until just done, 8 to 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set the salad dressing aside.

Drain the pasta well in a colander, shaking it to remove the excess water. Transfer the pasta to the large mixing bowl with the dressing. Stir to coat and let the pasta come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

When the pasta is cool, fold in the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese, olives, and mint or parsley. Stir to combine well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or black pepper if needed. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and serve at once garnished with the banana peppers or shrimp, if desired, or cover and refrigerate the salad until serving time.


Big Batch: This salad is easy to double or triple, but cook the pasta a pound at a time, and mix the salad one batch at a time.


Tote Notes: Tote this salad right in its serving bowl and bring the optional garnish of peppers or shrimp in a separate container, if you like. Cover the serving bowl with plastic wrap that sticks securely to the rim of the bowl to make traveling less messy. If possible, let the salad come to room temperature before serving. Then stir the salad again and top it with the garnish, if using.