Description
Horiatiki pasta salad brings Mediterranean sunshine to your plate, blending Greek ingredients in a refreshing summer dish. Crisp vegetables, tangy feta, and herbed pasta create a light, flavorful experience you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 225 grams (8 ounces) short pasta (penne or farfalle)
- 170 grams (6 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 80 grams (2.8 ounces) kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Vegetables:
- 1 English cucumber, quartered and deseeded
- 2–3 Roma tomatoes, quartered and deseeded
- 1 medium bell pepper (green, red, or yellow), diced
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
Dressing and Herbs:
- 160 milliliters (5.4 fluid ounces) extra virgin olive oil
- 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) chopped fresh parsley
- 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) chopped fresh dill
- 45 milliliters (1.5 fluid ounces) fresh lemon juice
- 45 milliliters (1.5 fluid ounces) white or red wine vinegar
- 15 milliliters (0.5 fluid ounces) honey
- 15 milliliters (0.5 fluid ounces) Dijon mustard
- 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
- 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) dried basil
- 2.5 milliliters (1/2 teaspoon) salt
- 2.5 milliliters (1/2 teaspoon) coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Boil pasta in generously salted water at high heat for 8-10 minutes until perfectly al dente. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water to halt cooking process, preventing overcooking. Lightly coat with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare cucumber by slicing lengthwise, removing seeds, and cutting into uniform quarter-inch chunks. Ensure pieces are consistent in size for balanced texture.
- Quarter tomatoes, meticulously remove seeds and inner pulp, then dice into precise geometric cubes matching cucumber dimensions.
- Process bell pepper by removing seeds and membrane, then dice into similar-sized pieces. Slice red onion into thin, delicate rings. Halve kalamata olives and crumble feta cheese into rustic fragments.
- Craft dressing by vigorously whisking olive oil, fresh lemon juice, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried mediterranean herbs, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper until emulsified and smooth. Taste and calibrate seasoning.
- Incorporate freshly chopped herbs into pasta and vegetable mixture moments before serving. Drizzle dressing gradually, gently tossing to ensure complete, even coating. For advanced preparation, initially use half the dressing and reserve remaining portion to refresh salad just before consumption.
Notes
- Customize Pasta Choice Use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta for alternative dietary needs without compromising taste and texture.
- Chill Before Serving Refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes before serving to enhance flavor melding and create a refreshing cold dish.
- Herb Flexibility Swap fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or mint based on personal preference or seasonal availability for dynamic flavor profiles.
- Make-Ahead Magic Prepare ingredients separately and combine just before serving to maintain crisp vegetable textures and prevent soggy pasta.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 25mg