Lemon Pasta Salad With Tomatoes and Feta

Scoutie's Note:

So good, and a nice change from typical pasta salads. I always get asked for this recipe at potlucks. I usually increase the dressing by about a third, as we like salads moist. A few hours before serving I add the tomatoes along with chopped artichokes, kalamata olives, basil and parsley. Right before serving, I add some roasted pine nuts. This recipe is very versatile, add whatever you want, some of the ingredients I have added in the past are fresh grated parmesan cheese and cucumbers. This dish gets better the longer it sits, even 24 hours works just fine. Cooking time does not include the setting time. Adapted from Bon Appétit, August 2003.

• Total Time: 27 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons lemon peel, zest
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 2 cups small cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers or a combination of both
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

1. Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and lemon zest in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
2. Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool quickly and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add tomatoes, bell peppers, feta cheese, and green onions. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Reviews

[Dr. Jenny]

This was a really refreshing summer salad. It was perfect for a hot day. I loved the lemon/mustard/EVOO combination in the dressing and all the fresh summer veggies with the pasta. I could see this being a really nice side dish at a BBQ. This makes a lot of salad, so DH and I look forward to enjoying this for lunch for days to come. I made no modifications to the recipe and felt that none were needed. Thanks for posting. Made for ZWT6 Family Picks.

[Thymestudio]

Awesome salad, made it this morning and let it chill for 6 hours and I am loving it. Perfect for a hot summer day like today. Thank you for posting it! ZWT6

[Merlot]

This is a wonderful pasta salad! I took it over to the neighbor's house for a pot luck dinner and everyone raved about it...especially the dressing. I used about 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (that's all I had) but it still turned out perfectly for us. The feta cheese really puts this over the top. I also like the versatity of this salad. Another great recipe from Scoutie!!!