the summer is flying by so quickly! i have a ton of great recipes to share with you to utilize the beautiful produce this season brings, but i’ve been so busy having fun (see the pics from my birthday) and spending time outdoors that i haven’t been posting as regularly as i’d like (although i’ve been cooking more than ever!).
for example, i made this pasta salad for a bbq potluck we had with friends to celebrate the fourth of july. was that really two weeks ago? is that possible?
regardless of the speed with which the summer is flying by, you must pause for a second and make this pasta salad! it is absolutely delicious and refreshing, with bright citrus, spicy garlic and green onions, and sweet cherry tomatoes.
i think i first had this pasta at my sister-in-law’s graduation party way back in 2006. since then, it’s become a staple side dish with our friends, one that gets suggested almost every time a salad or potluck is mentioned. this time around, however, my sister helped me change the recipe a bit by adding honey, a little more mustard, and vinegar to the dressing to round out the biting flavors of fresh lemons and raw garlic. and by jove, it turned out fantastic! so fantastic that i don’t think i’ll tweak the recipe again…well, at least not this summer. enjoy the latest adaptation below!
lemon feta tomato pasta salad
adapted from epicurious
yields about 10 side dish servings
- 17oz penne pasta
- 8T olive oil
- 4T lemon juice
- 4T mustard
- 1T honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2t lemon zest
- 1t red wine vinegar
- 2c cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 1/2c diced red bell peppers
- 1 1/2c crumbled feta cheese
- 1c chopped green onions
- salt and pepper
________________________
- boil water in large pot over high heat
- add pasta and allow to cook until al dente, then drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking
- whisk olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, lemon zest, and vinegar in large bowl until combined
- add pasta to the dressing and stir well
- add tomatoes, bell peppers, feta, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste, stirring well to combine all ingredients
subscribe
July 19th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
i can vouch for this–it’s a winner! I’m looking forward to the next posts, because I’ve been eating so well lately :)
July 20th, 2009 at 10:43 am
we have lots of little ripe tomatoes now and the bigger ones are starting to turn. I’ll have to try this.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
@mike: such a teaser for all the readers…i hope i can live up to it!
@BB: i think you made this pasta salad the first time i had it, for laura’s graduation party