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30-Minute Shrimp and Pasta Salad with Fennel and Feta

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 25, 2009

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

30-Minute Shrimp and Pasta Salad with Fennel and Feta

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup feta cheese, finely crumbled¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 shallot, minced1 garlic clove, minced1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh oregano Salt and ground black pepper 1 pound farfalle pasta 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and sliced thin1 ½ pounds medium pre-cooked shrimp (3¼0), peeled1 ½ ounces baby arugula (2 cups)½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Before You Begin

We like to use medium-sized shrimp in this dish; however, extra-large shrimp (21/25) can be substituted.

Instructions

    boil water for pasta

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.

    2. make dressing

  2. Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, feta, vinegar, shallot, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl large enough to hold entire pasta salad.

    3. cook farfalle

  3. Add farfalle and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water, and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain, shaking off excess water.

    4. marinate pasta

  4. Add hot, drained farfalle, fennel, and shrimp to bowl with dressing and toss. Cover and refrigerate until cooled, about 15 minutes.

    5. finish

  5. Just before serving, stir in arugula and olives and season with salt and pepper to taste.
30-Minute Shrimp and Pasta Salad with Fennel and Feta
Photography by Kritsada Panichgul. Styling by Ashley Moore.

30-Minute Shrimp and Pasta Salad with Fennel and Feta

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup feta cheese, finely crumbled
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound farfalle pasta
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and sliced thin
1 ½ pounds medium pre-cooked shrimp (3¼0), peeled
1 ½ ounces baby arugula (2 cups)
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup feta cheese, finely crumbled
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound farfalle pasta
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and sliced thin
1 ½ pounds medium pre-cooked shrimp (3¼0), peeled
1 ½ ounces baby arugula (2 cups)
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup feta cheese, finely crumbled
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound farfalle pasta
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and sliced thin
1 ½ pounds medium pre-cooked shrimp (3¼0), peeled
1 ½ ounces baby arugula (2 cups)
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Why This Recipe Works

To allow the hot pasta to soak up the dressing without turning mushy, we found it best to cook the pasta for our shrimp and pasta salad recipe until al dente and then toss it immediately with a portion of the dressing before placing it in the refrigerator to chill. For a bright dressing for our pasta salad that complemented the shrimp and fennel, we liked Greek flavors like oregano and garlic combined with feta cheese, red wine vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil. For most vinaigrettes, we use a 4-1 ratio of oil to vinegar, but in this case it came across as far too oily, so we decreased the oil for a more flavorful salad with a less greasy texture.

Before You Begin

We like to use medium-sized shrimp in this dish; however, extra-large shrimp (21/25) can be substituted.

Instructions

    boil water for pasta

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.

    2. make dressing

  2. Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, feta, vinegar, shallot, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl large enough to hold entire pasta salad.

    3. cook farfalle

  3. Add farfalle and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water, and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain, shaking off excess water.

    4. marinate pasta

  4. Add hot, drained farfalle, fennel, and shrimp to bowl with dressing and toss. Cover and refrigerate until cooled, about 15 minutes.

    5. finish

  5. Just before serving, stir in arugula and olives and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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