Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (450g) Short Pasta (Fusilli, Rotini, or Farfalle)
  • 1 Tbsp Salt (for cooking water)
  • 1 pint (2 cups) Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large English Cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 medium Red Onion, very finely diced
  • 1 cup (150g) Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved
  • 6 oz (170g) Feta Cheese, crumbled or cubed
  • 1/2 cup packed Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced very finely
  • 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (a slight bite remaining).
  2. Drain the pasta immediately and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch. Drain well.
  3. While the pasta cooks, chop the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, and parsley. Prepare the feta.
  4. In a jar, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Seal the jar and shake vigorously until emulsified.
  5. Place the cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl. Pour about three-quarters (3/4) of the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat everything evenly.
  6. Gently fold in the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and half of the feta and parsley. Toss lightly.
  7. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the pasta to soak up the dressing flavours.
  8. Before serving, taste the salad. Add the remaining dressing if it seems dry. Fold in the remaining feta and parsley. Adjust seasoning (salt/pepper) as needed.