Greek Pasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Greek Pasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette - Photo by JayDi Photography

So it's hot outside. Um, seems like we skipped straight from winter to summer. Alrighty then! Time to break out the salads.  This is a non-dairy based pasta salad that has strong flavours, yet takes no time at all to assemble. The longer it sits in the vinaigrette the better it gets!

 

Greek Pasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 3 hours (includes refrigeration)
Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

 

For the pasta salad:
2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta
2/3 cup sliced red onions
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup diced cucumbers
3/4 cup sliced olives
3/4 cup diced green peppers
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

 

Make the pasta salad:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until al dente, usually around 8 minutes.  Strain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl to cool slightly. While the pasta cools, make the dressing.

Make the dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, except for the olive oil. While whisking, stream in the olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, green peppers and feta cheese to the bowl with the pasta.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, tossing to combine, then cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours and up to overnight. When ready to serve, toss the pasta salad again and enjoy cold or at room temperature.