Addictive Crack Pasta Salad
A cold pasta salad with feta, olives, and fresh vegetables in Italian dressing. Make it ahead for cookouts and potlucks.
Equipment
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 8 oz short pasta such as rotini or penne, cooked 1 minute short of the package time and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cucumber diced and patted dry
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper diced
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup Italian dressing vinaigrette style
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground, or to taste
Instructions
Cooking
- Cook the pasta. Boil the pasta for about 9 minutes, 1 minute short of the package time, until firm but tender. Drain well.
- Rinse. Run cold water over the pasta for 30 seconds, tossing, until cool to the touch. Shake off the extra water.
- Prep the vegetables. Halve the tomatoes and dice the cucumber and pepper. Chop the onion fine and pat the cucumber dry.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the dressing, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Toss. Combine the pasta, vegetables, olives, and feta in a large bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss until glossy.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then stir and add a splash of dressing if the pasta looks dry.
Notes
Substitutions: Use cubed mozzarella for the feta, or gluten free pasta (rinse it well).
Tips: Pat the vegetables dry and hold back a little dressing to add just before serving.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Do not freeze.