Greek Pasta Salad

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks: Stop and Smell the Rosemary. This pasta salad is delicious and a definite crowd pleaser. You can keep it vegetarian or grill up some chicken and top the salad with the grilled chicken. It’s also a great picnic or potluck dish as it can sit at room temperature with no problems.

Dressing:

• 2/3 c. olive oil
• 6 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 TBSP fresh oregano, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Salad:

• 12 oz. pasta
• 1 1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 12 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 20 Greek olives, pitted (optional)
• 12 pepperoncini, chopped (optional)
• Grilled chicken breasts (optional)

Directions:

1. Whisk oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to directions on box. Combine pasta, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, green onions, bell peppers, parsley, and feta (if using olives and/or pepperoncini add now) in a large serving bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve with grilled chicken if desired.

Greek Pasta Salad: