Rosie's Pasta Salad - The Best Of Summer In A Bowl

 

In the summertime, I’m looking for light and refreshing meals. And my piquantly perfect pasta salad fits that bill impeccably. Each bite has a different texture and flavor – from soft and creamy to crunchy and crisp, and from salty and tangy to acidic and herbally delicious. And it’s all garden fresh!

 

This dish combines tender pasta with a medley of additions. The pasta is but a quiet backdrop to all the other ingredients that come to the party to play.  As usual with my recipes, you have options.  First, you pick the pasta.  I went with elbow pasta, but orzo would be nice here or orecchiette, or even little shells.  Just remember you want small pieces of pasta to complement the additions we’re putting in, all of which will be at the height of freshness, whether from your own garden or from a farmers market.  The whole is then tossed with a light and zesty, lemon-based dressing.  I’ll be adding a combination of vegetables of my choosing, but you can certainly adjust and tailor the ingredients to your own tastes.  I started out with 1 cup of elbow pasta and, after adding all the rest of the ingredients and making a citrusy dressing, I had a huge bowl of pasta salad – perfect for a main meal, a side dish, or for taking to a picnic to celebrate the final days of summer.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosie’s Summer Pasta Salad

1 cup dried pasta

1 small squash

1 small zucchini

4 cup fresh spinach

1 English cucumber

1 medium red onion

3-4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, assorted colors

6 oz. Kalamata olives

8 oz. feta cheese

1 cup fresh parsley

⅓ cup fresh basil

 For the salad fixin’s:

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions, until al dente.  I saved the pasta water to use for blanching the squash and zucchini.  Drain and rinse pasta under cold water to stop cooking. After draining, pour pasta into large bowl and set aside.

 Prepare squash and zucchini. Coarse-peel the vegetables and dice.  Using the pasta water, since I don’t like to waste anything, bring it back to a boil, maybe add a bit more salt, and drop in the diced squash and zucchini and cook for about 30 seconds.  Immediately drain the vegetables and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and allow the vegetables to remain crisp-tender.  When cooled, drain.

 Stem and coarse chop spinach. Coarsely peel cucumber and dice.  Dice red onion and feta and slice tomatoes and olives.  Add all to cooled pasta. Sprinkle in chopped parsley and basil. Gently toss to combine ingredients evenly.

 

Dressing:

 3 lemons, juiced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil (I used Corto Truly Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but you can go with whatever olive oil you really like.)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

(Makes about 1 cup dressing.)

 

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and minced garlic. Gradually drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly.  Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

Slowly drizzle the dressing mixture over the pasta and vegetables, tossing gently to coat.  Cover and refrigerate a couple hours to let flavors get all friendly with each other.

 

 

This is a lovely salad and so easy to prepare.  It’s colorful with the tender green spinach leaves and the vibrant and vivid vegetables.  And the bright and tangy lemon vinaigrette is perfectly balanced, bringing it all together in a delightful mix of flavors and textures.

Plus, it’s all so fresh. It’s truly the best of summer in a bowl.

  

 

Enjoy.