Friday, August 6, 2010

Refreshing summer pasta salad

This is by far our favorite thing to make in the summer. It's a little labor-intensive - requiring some chopping and squeezing - but it's entirely worth it. Originally from my Aunt Sally, we've adapted it a bit for our tastes.

1 box orzo, ditalini or another small pasta
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
2/3 cup olive oil
lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped dill
pint grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
yellow bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 lb. feta chunks (we use 2 boxes)
Optional: chopped kalamata olives, capers, chopped artichoke hearts

Cook and cool the pasta. Since this is a cold salad, you can dump the cooked pasta in a colander in the sink and run cold water over it.

While pasta is cooking/cooling, chop up all the things you have to chop and squeeze the lemons. Shake the lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, and s&p together in a jar. Mix the dressing, veggies, and herbs into the cooled pasta, and then dig in!

2 comments:

  1. Woah. First of all, those are my favorite noodles ever!

    Second, I need to make a dish to bring to Ravinia on Saturday, and boating on Sunday.

    I think I just found a winner!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. It's perfect for outdoor activities such as Ravinia and boating - glad you enjoyed it!

    ReplyDelete