Using a pasta salad recipe to create nutritious and appealing meals for your family is easy and versatile. You can add your favorite fresh foods to your salads and customize your pasta salad recipe to match your preferences. The following Greek pasta salad recipe gets its major flavoring from the pepperoni, feta cheese and the herbs.
Pasta Must Be Cooked Al Dente
Prepare your pasta first by boiling it until it is very al dente. You want it al detente because after you have mixed the noodles with the rest of your ingredients, you want the pasta to remain firm. If you allow your pasta to cook until they are soft, they will be mushy when you serve your pasta salad.
After you have cooked your pasta, drain them, put them on a cookie sheet so they can dry off, and cool down. You do not need to rinse your pasta after it is drained because at this point, you are trying to remove as much water as you can from the pasta. It is not a problem if they stick together, because the salad dressing will separate the pasta. Pretty noodles to use in a pasta salad include small shells, macaroni, farfalle, fusilli, rotelle, penne and ziti. You can also use colorful pasta in your pasta salad recipe to boost the appeal of your salad.
Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon white sugar
Salad Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cooked pasta
3 cups sliced mushrooms
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup sliced red bell peppers
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 small can of whole black olives
3/4 cup sliced and diced pepperoni sausage
Directions
1. Blend your dressing ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. If the dressing ingredients are not blended well enough, the vinegar will soak into your pasta and the oil will coat your salad ingredients.
2. Add cooled pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes, red bell pepper, feta cheese, green onions, black olives and sausage. Toss your salad ingredients with the dressing until all your ingredients are evenly coated.
3. Cover and chill your pasta salad for at least two hours or overnight if that is your preference. If you prefer or if your pasta is too soft, you can toss your salad ingredients with the dressing fifteen minutes before serving. This pasta salad recipe will provide enough for four servings.
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