Рецепт Greek Pasta Salad
My kids and I are gearing up for a trip out west (my husband is devastated that he’s saving his time off for later this summer and is therefore missing out on 6:00 am flights, seemingly endless hours on the road, and bonding with my parents’ dogchildren) and since the chances of my husband cooking raw chicken or using up my stash of fresh veggies that aren’t carrots or corn, I’m trying to empty out my fridge.
One of my favorite ways to use up a lot of fresh produce quickly is to chop it up and toss it with some pasta and my favorite salad dressings and the possibilities are kind of endless. This particular pasta salad, though, is one of my all-time favorites. You can use whatever kind of pasta you want–this time around, I used linguine, but you can always use something a little more pasta-salad-traditional like rotini or penne.
In addition to 8 ounces of pasta, you’ll need a batch of this Greek salad dressing, grape tomatoes, 1/2 of a red onion (sliced or minced, just depending on your preference), a can of olives (I use black because I have a hard enough time getting my husband to eat cold noodles and I’m pretty sure there would be revolt if I used something like Kalamata olives), a cucumber that’s been peeled and sliced or chopped, a sliced red bell pepper, and feta cheese. You can also add 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil and a few teaspoons of fresh chopped oregano if you feel the urge.
If you want to add chicken to your salad, marinate the chicken in about 1/2 cup dressing for at least 4 hours, preferably longer. When done marinating, grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 7 minutes on each side. Allow to stand 5-10 minutes before chopping into bite-sized pieces.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta and cook al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
Add the chicken and toss to combine.
Add the cooked pasta
and 1 cup of the Greek salad dressing and toss to distribute evenly. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Makes 8-10 main dish servings or LOTS of side dish servings.
Greek Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces pasta (your choice)
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced or chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced or minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced or chopped
- 1 15-ounce can black olives, drained (you can use Kalamata olives if you prefer)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, rinsed
- 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 recipe Greek Salad dressing
Optional: 3/4-1 pound raw chicken breasts, romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, a few tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, and a handful of whole pepperoncinis
Instructions:
If you want to add chicken to your salad, marinate the chicken in about 1/2 cup dressing for at least 4 hours, preferably longer. When done marinating, grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 7 minutes on each side. Allow to stand 5-10 minutes before chopping into bite-sized pieces.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta and cook al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Add the chicken and toss to combine. Add the cooked pasta and 1 cup of the Greek salad dressing and toss to distribute evenly. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Makes 8-10 main dish servings or LOTS of side dish servings.