Greek Pasta Salad

The first time I made a greek salad, I used a recipe from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer.  I still follow the process but it has evolved into a pasta salad (a friend had brought me something similar after I had KC). Making this is almost as wonderful as eating it. The smell, the colors, and the texture are complete therapy! You can eat the pasta salad for lunch, as a side dish, or on top of some romaine lettuce. It's great for a quick snack or meal and both of my boys like the pasta.  I know that once you try this recipe, it will be printed, laminated, then passed on for the rest of eternity!

Greek Pasta Salad

adapted from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson

Print recipe

1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp dried oregano

a few turns of black pepper

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pint (or more) of cherry/grape or similar tomatoes, halved

1 tsp sugar

pinch of sea salt

Half of a large English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/2-1 cup calamata olives, roughly chopped

14 oz or heaping cup of crumbled feta cheese

1 pound of short, textured pasta like farfalle or rotini

half a lemon

NOTE (added 12/10/11): It was pointed out to me that the ingredients were a bit expensive.  I am a Costco shopper and almost always have these ingredients on hand.  If you'd like to save a bit, splurge on the Feta, save on the olives (go with canned black), the cucumber (seed/peel a regular cucumber), and use bottled greek dressing (no extra virgin olive oil, oregano, red wine vinegar, and use less red onion). You can drop the lemon too if you're using dressing but that's my favorite part:)

At least 4 hours before eating (night before is great too), toss the onion with the oregano, red wine vinegar, black pepper, and olive oil. Cover and let steep.

Cook the pasta. Start the chopping, tomatoes first. Toss the halved tomatoes with sugar and salt. 

 Cut the rest of the ingredients. 

Drain and rinse the pasta with cool water. Layer everything on top of the pasta, with the onion mixture last. 

Squeeze the lemon half over everything and toss.

 Enjoy! 

Disclaimer 1: My children didn't eat the veggies.

Disclaimer 2: This is what my kitchen looked like after I assembled the salad.  My Texas tornado did help clean up but next time I will be making this while he is sleeping or his bro is home to entertain him. Thankfully, this salad tastes great, maybe better, the next day after the dressing has some time to soak into the ingredients.