With this wonderful unseasonably warm March weather, I cannot help but day dream about the upcoming summer. My mind keeps wandering to lazy days on the beach, picnics, late nights on patios, fresh fruit, summery cocktails, evenings surrounding the bonfire with friends, and many, many barbecues. BBQ season may not be that far off this year. I heard that the golf courses across the city opened up today – way earlier than usual! All of these thoughts have me craving one of my favourite salads – one I bring to almost every BBQ i’m invited to in the summer. This recipe was given to me by one of my best friends Sheila. She got the recipe from one of her many Jaime Oliver cookbooks. The original recipe does not call for olives, feta or pine nuts. The ingredients I added to this classic pasta salad is to “Courtney-ize” the salad – as Sheila would say *hehe* It’s a fantastically delicious pasta salad. Make sure to use fresh basil in this recipe. It really brings out the best in the salad. Bring this to your first BBQ of the season, and I guarantee you’ll be invited to another BBQ…and another…and….etc :)
Ingredients
- 1 pound of small shell-shaped pasta (plain, whole wheat or gluten-free)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 pint of red cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup of chopped kalamata olives
- 1 handful of fresh basil
- 1/2 a large cucumber
- 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of white sugar
- sea salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup of low-fat feta cheese; crumbled
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
Note: for my lovely vegan friends, you can easily replace the feta cheese in this salad with homemade almond “feta cheese”.
Method
1.Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Remove skin from the cloves of garlic. When the water begins to boil, add the pasta and cloves of garlic. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente (firm bite). Drain the pasta and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
2. Meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and dice up half a cucumber. Note: I normally take the skin off the cucumber, but feel free to leave it on. Chiffonade the basil.
3. Remove garlic and place pasta in a serving bowl. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh chopped basil and chopped kalamata olives. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top of pasta.
4. Roughly chop the garlic. Then, using the back of a fork, mash the garlic into a paste. Whisk together the mashed garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Once well combined, add the dressing to the pasta and toss well to combine.
Allow the pasta salad to sit in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavours to meld. Serve and enjoy!
Source: based on a recipe by Jaime Oliver
i used to love pasta salad when i was younger. probably because it was my mom’s favorite dish to make during the summer. it was sooo yummy.
i love the ingredients that you put in your pasta salad. cucumber, basil, and olives always remind me of summer ;) loving this warm weather!
This is a good way to make sure I’m eating for vegetables! How could you not wolf down such a good looking salad!
Picturing eating this pasta salad with ripe tomatoes and fresh basil is making me crave summertime so much now! I love eating dishes like this when it’s hot out – looks great!
Summer like weather is here in New England too- we just had out first grill last night with pasta salad! I love your recipe here and suggestion for the “almond feta” the only thing that would make this even better is if you came to my house and made it for me!
Awe, we’ll have to do up a BBQ one day and I’ll bring the almond feta & greek pasta salad :)
Yesterday we had incredible weather and then there was a huge thunderstorm. Now we are back to chillier temperatures. Boo! I was hoping to do a BBQ this week. Hopefully nice weather will be back in no time!
Yum! This definitely would be perfect for a summer BBQ :D Forwarding the recipe to my momma, we both love Greek style salads!
Mmm – I can just taste the feta and basil looking at your photograph! Beautiful pasta salad, and perfect for a picnic or bbq!