Pasta Salad

Fresh, crisp, and bright.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Make-ahead dream for parties and picnics.
• Hearty enough to be a meal.
• Customizable to what's in the fridge.
• Feeds a crowd cheaply.
• Better the next day.

Ingredient Notes

• Short, curly pastas hold dressing best.
• Real Kalamata olives (pitted) are sharper than canned black.
• Block feta crumbled at home tastes fresher.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Add chickpeas or grilled chicken for more protein.
• Sub mozzarella pearls for feta.
• Italian dressing if you're in a rush.

Equipment Needed

• Large pot for pasta
• Large bowl

Prep Tips

• Dice everything similar size to pasta.
• Salt pasta water well — it's your only seasoning chance for the noodles.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 12 oz pasta, 1 medium tomato, diced, 1 medium cucumber, sliced, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 cup feta, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 tsp oregano. dice the onion, and chop the fresh herbs before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Cook pasta, cool. Taste and adjust salt; serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and hot.

3. 3

   Toss with chopped veg, feta.

4. 4

   Dress with oil, vinegar, oregano.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Cook pasta slightly past al dente — cold pasta tightens up.
• Rinse pasta in cold water to stop cooking and prevent stickiness.
• Cold dulls flavor — season more aggressively than you'd think.

Common Mistakes

• Under-dressing — cold pasta absorbs liquid.
• Under-salting — cold mutes flavor.
• Spaghetti or long noodles — doesn't work cold.

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