End of Summer Pasta Salad
Recipe and photo thanks to My Lilikoi Kitchen
End of Summer Pasta Salad
The measurements for the pasta, tomatoes and olives can be adjusted to your liking. If you want to prepare a smaller portion use just two cups of uncooked pasta and fewer tomatoes and olives. The fresh basil, feta and herb vinaigrette really add that je ne sais quoi to the salad.
Ingredients
3 cups uncooked pasta
20 grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup olives, halved
salami cut into thin strips
feta cheese, crumbled
fresh basil, julienned
baby spinach leaves
fresh herb vinaigrette
Preparation
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for the suggested cooking time noted on the box.
Drain pasta, run under cool water to stop the cooking. Place a few paper towels on the bottom of a large, wide bowl. Pour your well-drained pasta into the bowl and let the paper towels absorb the excess water. Set aside while you prepare the salad ingredients.
Slice the tomatoes and olives in half and cut the salami into thin strips, about 1 inch in length. Crumble the feta cheese and julienne the basil leaves.
Remove the paper towels from the bowl and season the pasta well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the tomatoes, olives, salami, feta and basil. Give everything a quick stir, then add your vinaigrette by the tablespoonful until the salad is nicely dressed. Just before serving, toss in the spinach leaves and give the salad one more quick stir adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
Leftover pasta salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a day or so. The pasta will absorb most of the dressing so you might choose to add just a little more the next day. If I’m not serving the entire salad at one time, I’ll add just enough spinach for that portion and add more as I eat my way through the entire bowl. Molto delizioso!
