Mediterranean
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Short pasta is boiled, cooled enough to handle, and tossed with cucumber, tomato, olives, and feta in a simple oil dressing. It is sturdy rather than delicate, and the pasta will keep absorbing dressing as it sits, so it tastes drier the next day.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 11 min
- Total
- 26 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- The pasta is the only thing that needs the stove, and the vegetables stay raw.
- Feta and olives season the bowl so the dressing can stay short.
- A brief rinse keeps the pasta from cooking the tomatoes.
- Four ounces of feta divides evenly across four bowls without a creamy sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Boil the pasta in salted water until just tender, then drain it and rinse briefly so it stops cooking.
- 2
Toss the warm pasta with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil so the pieces do not clump.
- 3
Add the cucumber, tomatoes, and olives.
- 4
Whisk the remaining olive oil with the lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- 5
Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and toss until everything looks coated.
- 6
Fold in the feta last so the cubes stay mostly whole, then taste and adjust the salt.
Pro tips
- Rinsing is useful here because you want the pasta cool enough for the vegetables, not steaming hot.
- Salt after the feta and olives go in; both are already salty.
- Cut the cucumber and tomato the same size as the pasta so bites stay balanced.
Easy substitutions
- Feta
- Goat cheese
- Kalamata olives
- Green olives
- Short pasta
- Whole wheat short pasta
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days and stir in a spoon of olive oil before serving if it looks dry.
Reheating
Serve it cold or at room temperature; a hot skillet makes the tomatoes collapse and the feta melt into grease.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 490
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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