Description
Horiatiki Village Pasta Salad is a fresh and vibrant Mediterranean-inspired dish combining cooked pasta with crisp vegetables, tangy feta cheese, olives, and a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing, seasoned with oregano, salt, and pepper. Perfect as a light lunch or a side dish, this salad highlights traditional Greek flavors with a wholesome, refreshing twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Components
- 2 cups short pasta (penne or fusilli)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup black olives, pitted
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing and Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain well and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.
- Combine vegetables and olives: In a large mixing bowl, add the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, chopped green bell pepper, and black olives. Gently toss to combine.
- Add pasta and feta cheese: Once cooled, add the cooked pasta and crumbled feta cheese to the bowl with the vegetables.
- Dress the salad: Drizzle olive oil and red wine vinegar evenly over the salad ingredients.
- Season the salad: Sprinkle dried oregano, salt, and black pepper over the salad. Adjust seasoning according to taste.
- Toss and serve: Gently toss all the ingredients together until well combined and coated with the dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature for best flavor.
Notes
- Use short pasta shapes like penne or fusilli to hold the dressing well.
- For best flavor, chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving.
- Adjust the amount of red wine vinegar depending on your preferred level of tanginess.
- Fresh oregano can be used instead of dried if available.
- This salad can be prepared a few hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- Olives can be substituted with kalamata for a more authentic Greek flavor.
