Greek Pasta Salad Make Ahead Tip
Cucumber and tomato get watery if they sit. If you want to make salad a day or two ahead, prepare it without them. Then, stir these veggies in just before serving.
Greek pasta salad
131
PREP TIME
25 min
Makes
12 to 16 servings
* PLUS Cooking time: 12 minutes
Roberto Caruso
Our pasta take on beloved Greek salad has a touch of assertive feta in a lower-fat creamy dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 box fusilli or rotini pasta , about 6 cups before cooking
- 2 bell peppers , preferably 1 red and 1 green
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 Vidalia or 1/2 red onion
- 1 large regular or English cucumber
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup lower-fat plain yogurt , preferably 1 or 2%
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1 tbsp dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. When water is boiling, stir in pasta. Cook, uncovered, according to package directions until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain in a large colander or sieve. Then rinse under cold running water. Drain again.
- Meanwhile, seed and coarsely chop peppers and tomatoes. Chop onion. If using a regular cucumber, peel, then cut in half lengthwise. Using a soup spoon, scoop out and discard seeds. Don’t bother peeling or seeding an English cucumber. Cut into chunks about same size as coarsely chopped vegetables.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir mayonnaise with yogurt and juice until blended. Stir in cheese, oregano, salt and black pepper. Add cool drained pasta and toss until coated. Stir in vegetables. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for up to half a day. Greek pasta salad will become drier as it sits, so you may need to stir in an additional 1/4 cup (50 mL) yogurt just before serving.
