Pasta salad is a summer staple that’s perfect for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues. A versatile dish that can be customized to your liking. B. Types of pasta, vegetables, and dressings. This pasta salad recipe combines pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, black olives, feta cheese, fresh basil, and Italian dressing. Refreshing, fragrant, easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion. The key to a delicious pasta salad is choosing the right pasta. We recommend using short pastas such as fusilli, rotini, or penne for this recipe. These shaped noodles hold dressings and ingredients better than long shaped noodles like spaghetti or fettuccine. To prevent clumping when combined with additional ingredients, cook the pasta al dente or just past al dente. This pasta salad’s vegetables come in a range of hues, textures, and tastes. The sweet, juicy flavor of cherry tomatoes is enhanced, while the coolness of cucumbers is added. Black olives and red onions both contribute saltiness and an acidic, slightly sweet flavor. Fresh basil gives flavor and a hint of herbs while feta cheese adds a tangy, creamy accent.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup Italian dressing
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Pasta should be cooked until al dente according to package directions. After draining, rinse with cold water. Combine cooked pasta, feta cheese, black olives, red onion, cucumber and fresh basil in a large mixing bowl. Toss the pasta salad with the Italian dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate food for at least 1 hour before serving.
