LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Every summer barbeque needs a delicious side dish and this pasta salad is sure to be the star of your next cookout.
Summer is here, and what goes better with summer than a pasta salad?
This Greek pasta salad is such a quick and easy dish to make. If desired, add deli chicken or cooked shrimp to make it even heartier. It can be prepared with just a simple olive oil-red wine vinaigrette, a commercial Greek dressing or with Debbie's favorite, Pete’s Famous Greek Salad Dressing, sold at the Greek Food Festival.
Ingredients:
- 1 box farfalle (fusilli, rotini, conchiglie) pasta, cooked and drained*
- 1-2 14-ounce cans marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 4-6 ounce jar sliced Kalamata olives, drained
- 6 green onions, trimmed and chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips,
- 1 -2 small cucumbers, chopped
- 6-8 medium radishes, thinly sliced, optional
- 5 ounces feta cheese crumbles (about 5 oz.)
- 12-16 ounces Greek vinaigrette dressing of choice (12-16 oz. bottle)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
- 1 cup (or more) fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- Chopped chicken, grilled shrimp or grilled salmon, if desired
- Garnish: thinly sliced fresh mint or pepperoncini
Directions:
1. Cook pasta until al dente or more if you prefer a softer noodle. Drain and cool. Pour a little salad dressing over the pasta and toss to absorb.
2. Add remaining ingredients to a large bowl.
3. Toss with the cooled pasta. Chill and enjoy! The flavor improves if made ahead.
*Note: This is equally good prepared with quinoa in place of the pasta.
For more recipes from Debbie Arnold, visit https://diningwithdebbie.net/ and follow Debbie on Facebook and Instagram.