Description
A vibrant, no-cook salad blending rotini pasta, crumbly feta, briny olives, and fresh vegetables. Tossed with a zesty dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs, this dish balances saltiness, tang, and crunch for a refreshing summer meal. Easily vegan with tofu feta substitution.
Ingredients
8 oz (225g) rotini pasta
8 oz (225g) feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
1 cup kalamata olives
1 medium cucumber, diced or julienned
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or oregano
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Boil salted water in a pot. Cook pasta until al dente (8-10 minutes).
Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Cool completely.
Dice cucumber, halve tomatoes, and slice red onion. Soak onion in water 10 minutes if desired for milder flavor.
In a bowl, combine cooled pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, feta, and olives.
Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, dill, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a separate bowl. Adjust salt to taste.
Notes
Use room-temperature vegetables for optimal texture
Substitute kalamata olives with green or black olives, but reduce added salt
Add apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar for non-alcoholic version
Chill 1-2 hours before serving for best flavor
Tofu feta (pressed and crumbled) works well for vegan version
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g