Name: Summer Garden Pasta Salad with Olives and Feta
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons; 1 medium shallot , minced; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves , or 1/2 teaspoon dried; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; Salt; 1 pound farfalle; 2 medium carrots , peeled and grated over the large holes of a box grater; 1 large yellow bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips; 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 2 cups); 1 cup pitted kalamata olives (about 6 ounces), chopped coarse; 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves; 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces), quartered

Summer Garden Pasta Salad with Olives and Feta

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Yield

Serves 12 to 14

Summer Garden Pasta Salad with Olives and Feta

Ingredients

Dressing

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons1 medium shallot, minced1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad

Salt 1 pound farfalle 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated over the large holes of a box grater1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-thick strips8 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 2 cups)1 cup pitted kalamata olives (about 6 ounces), chopped coarse½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces), quartered

Before You Begin

We like the size of farfalle (bow-tie) pasta here, however, you can substitute any small pasta, such as rotini or penne. If using a different pasta shape, note that the yield may change significantly. Cooking the pasta until it is completely tender is crucial here—pasta becomes tough as it sits in the salad overnight. This recipe was originally published in The Best Make-Ahead Recipe.

Instructions

For the dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.

For the salad: Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Stir in 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and cook until completely tender. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander. Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl.

Stir the reserved pasta water into the dressing. Pour half of the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the carrots, bell pepper, feta, olives, and parsley. Scatter the tomatoes on top of the pasta (do not mix in).

To Store: Cover the pasta salad tightly with plastic wrap and poke several vent holes. Transfer the remaining dressing to an airtight container. Refrigerate the pasta salad and reserved dressing separately for up to 2 days.

To Serve: Microwave the pasta salad on high power to remove the chill, 1 to 2 minutes. Shake the reserved dressing to recombine, then pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add the remaining dressing as needed to keep the salad moist.