Summer always puts me in the mood for pasta salads! This is a wonderful one with great flavors and additions. I share how to keep your gluten free pasta soft after chilling, which is always a challenge. This salad would be great at a BBQ, as a picnic side, or a yummy lunch!
Greek Pasta Salad
Serves 8
1 (12 oz.) box Jovial Gluten Free Farfalle pasta
2/3 cup sliced red onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (about 15)
1 cup diced cucumbers
3/4 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, then add two more minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients except for olive oil. While whisking, stream in the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to combine and cover all the pasta. Add the red onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, green pepper, and feta cheese. Toss the combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving. When ready to serve, bring the salad to room temperature and toss.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients for the pasta salad. You will need gluten free pasta (for pasta salads, our preference is Jovial pastas because they do not contain corn which tends to harden when refrigerated), a red onion, cherry tomatoes, a cucumber, sliced olives of choice (you can use Greek olives if you like, but our preference is black olives), a green pepper, and feta cheese.
For the vinaigrette you will need red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, oregano, and extra-virgin olive oil.
In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta two minutes longer that the package says for al dente pasta. This is one of the tricks we've learned for pasta salad with gluten free pasta. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.
In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients except olive oil. Slowly pour in oil while whisking to help it combine better. You will need to whisk again right before pouring over the pasta.
Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta and toss to coat all the pasta. This is another trick so that the pasta gets to absorb the dressing more than the other ingredients.
Add the onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, green peppers, and feta cheese. Aren't the colors so beautiful?
Toss all together, then refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors meld together. You can eat it cold, but we prefer it more at room temperature. Before serving, give it a good toss. The pasta should not be too firm. If it seems dry, you can add a little more olive oil.
It's a great summer dish that can be a side for a BBQ or picnic, or a yummy lunch you can eat poolside. If you are a fan of pasta salads like I am, this is one you will want to give a try!
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe at Just a Taste
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