Opa! Greek Pasta Salad

If you’ve ever been to my house, I have probably served you pasta salad, in one form or another.  I find that it’s a great option when you’ll be serving a lot of people and you need food that will be as good when the party starts, as it is when you’re standing over the sink with a quick bowl after everyone has left.  It’s incredibly versatile and you can make it with whatever you have on hand!  We’ve been sort of obsessed with the Southwest Pasta Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing lately, but I think we’ve had enough of that for a while and was ready to move on to something else.

As I was compiling this week’s menu and shopping list, I saw that Publix had crumbled feta cheese on sale, BOGO.  I love a good bogo y’all.  So I decided that Greek Pasta salad was on the menu.  The great thing about Greek food, is the same thing I love about Italian food; simple, fresh ingredients, signature flavors, lots of tart vinegar and savory olives with tangy feta cheese.  Yum.

2 lbs. Farfalle (bowtie) pasta
2 med. cucumbers, peeled and chunked
4 med. tomatoes chunked
1 med red onion sliced super fine
2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
kalamata olives (our market didn’t have any in the olive bar, so I bought a jar, pitted) rough chopped
8 oz. feta cheese (this is not the time to splurge on the good stuff, the supermarket brand, crumbled, is just fine)
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, assemble all the other other ingredients (except oil and vinegar) in a very large bowl (or plastic storage container).
Drain the pasta and run cool water over it, tossing gently until cooled.
Allow the water to drain from the pasta, again tossing gently.
When all the excess water has drained, toss pasta in with salad.

In a small jar, (I used the empty olive jar), combine 1 part vinegar to two parts oil, cover and shake well to combine.

Pour over pasta, toss and refrigerate to allow the flavors to combine.

If you liked this, you might like:

• Warm Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes
• Asian Pasta Salad
• You Know What I Love?
• Rocket Pasta
• Southwest Pasta Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing