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Greek-Style Cold Pasta

17/11/2023

Greek-style cold pasta is a variant of Greek salad with the addition of pasta, making it a fresh and tasty one-dish meal, ideal for hot days. Here is the recipe with an Italian touch:

Ingredients

  • 250 g of short pasta (penne, fusilli or farfalle work well)
  • 150 g of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 small red onion
  • 200 g of feta cheese
  • Black olives to taste
  • Dried oregano to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Vinegar (wine or balsamic, according to taste)
  • (Optional) some fresh basil leaves for an Italian touch

Preparation

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta following the package instructions to achieve al dente texture. Once cooked, drain it and cool it under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Then dress it with a drizzle of oil and let it cool down completely.

  2. In the meantime, wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half, slice the red onion finely, cut the cucumber (peeled or not, depending on taste) into rounds or half-moons, and the green bell pepper into strips or cubes.

  3. Cut the feta into cubes.

  4. In a large bowl, combine the cold pasta with cucumber, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and olives.

  5. Add the cubed feta and dress everything with oregano, salt, pepper, vinegar, and a generous swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Mix gently to blend the ingredients.

  6. (Optional) To give an Italian flair and a fresh aroma, add some torn fresh basil leaves.

  7. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving, so the flavors blend together better.

For a winning pairing, you could serve this cold pasta with a fresh Pinot Grigio or Vermentino, Italian white wines that with their acidity and freshness go well with the vibrancy of the Greek-style cold pasta’s ingredients.

Curiosity

Feta is a Greek white, salty, and grainy cheese, which in this recipe is well balanced by the sweetness of the tomatoes and the aroma of the herbs. If you want to stick to an Italian theme, consider replacing the feta with crumbled salted ricotta.