Greek Pasta Salad
I feel like everyone should have a go-to recipe on-hand for you’re in charge of bringing the side dish to a dinner party. And I’m here to say THIS is that recipe.
Pasta salad is SO EASY to make. It’s basically fool-proof. Even if you don’t cook, I promise you can make this dish and the crowd will go wild. Trust me.
I believe pasta salad is a summer-staple everyone should enjoy, but regular pasta salad is usually loaded w/ processed meats, which TBH does not sit well with me. #heartburn. So I decided to create my own recipe with a Greek twist.
Enter my Greek Pasta Salad—made with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta, and more Greek-inspired ingredients that will kiss the tastebuds of anyone who eats this delish dish.
A couple things to note before we get started:
1.) It’s important to make this at least 2-3 hours before serving so the ingredients can marry while cooling in the fridge. (it’s best served cold)
2.) I used Banza pasta here (because it’s gluten-free) but feel free to use any pasta you like!
3.) You’ll notice there isn’t any green pepper in this dish and that’s simply because I don’t like green pepper. If you like it, add it! There also isn’t any onion and I really believe this dish is actually better without it. The onion will overpower it and leave you w/ that oniony after taste in your mouth, and we don’t need that in our lives.
Okay, let’s get cookin’!!!
Greek Pasta Salad (yields 1 large bowl ~4-6 servings)
Ingredients:
for the pasta salad:
1 box Banza pasta (penne, shells, or rotini whatever you’re feelin’!)
1 cucumber, diced (if you wanna peel the skin off, go for it!)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup olives, pitted and sliced in half
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (I got a sheep/goat milk one - easier to digest if you’re lactose intolerant like me!)
zest of 1 lemon
½ cup pistachios (roasted & salted is the best)
fresh mint, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
for the dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced (trust me, 1 is enough!)
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
cook pasta according to package. drain water, transfer to a large serving bowl, and cool
once pasta has cooled, drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together. add in tomatoes, olives, and cucumber and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours
before you’re ready to serve, add in crumbled feta, pistachios, lemon zest, mint, and dressing. season w/salt & pepper. toss to combine
serve & enjoy!
notes:
I served this pasta salad w/ halibut—any simple white fish or chicken would pair well with this!
pro tip: Banza has a tendency to foam when boiling so simply place a wooden spoon over your pot to prevent water from overflowing!
this is a GREAT recipe to have on-hand for a dinner party, BBQ, etc.!
I want to see YOUR take on this pasta salad!!! make sure to tag @finewithfood when making any of my recipes!!
