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Summer Pasta Salad

Bright & Tangy Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 340

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb short pasta, such as rotini or farfalle
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 English cucumber, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated or finely minced
  • ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, drain, and rinse with cold water.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion.
  3. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  4. Add the pasta to the bowl, pour the dressing over, and toss to coat. Top with feta and basil and toss once more before serving.

Notes

If you are making this ahead, toss the drained pasta with a small drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking, then add the dressing and finish with basil and feta right before serving. The salad tastes best after about 10 minutes at room temperature so the flavors can settle in.