Pasta Salad With Tomatoes Zucchini And Feta Recipes

TOMATO FETA PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, feta and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
• For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.
• Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley, and toss well.

QUICK AND EASY PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check the package for recommended cook time). Drain and rinse well under cold water.
• While the pasta cooks, in the bottom of a large bowl, make the dressing. Whisk the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, pepperoncini juice (if using), and the olive oil until blended. Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the dressing and mix well.
• Stir in the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, pepperoncini (if using), olives, parmesan, mozzarella, and the herbs (if using). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve or for the best results, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days.

GREEK PASTA SALAD WITH SHRIMP, TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI, PEPPERS, AND FETA

Steps:

• To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, pinch of salt, and pepper; slowly pour in 2/3 cup olive oil, whisking constantly. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid to transport it to the picnic.
• Adjust oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and arrange on a large baking sheet with sides. Broil until spotty brown, 8 to 10 minutes, turning zucchini slices and pepper halves once. Set aside in a large bowl to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to boil. Add pasta; boil using package times, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto the baking sheet. Set aside to cool.
• Put vegetables, pasta and remaining ingredients (except dressing) in the bowl or a gallon-sized zipper bag (can be refrigerated for several hours). When ready to serve, add dressing; toss to coat.

HEALTHY PASTA SALAD WITH TOMATO AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Slice the zucchini into half inch slices and then to half moons. I love to julienne the carrot just for added interest and texture, but you may cut it to any shape. Sometimes I also add sliced onion.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• Add zucchini, tomatoes, carrot, white parts of the spring onion to a roasting pan, along with garlic, olive oil and a little salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a pre-heated oven of 400F (200C) for 20 minutes. If you want you can add the carrots later (15-16 minutes into the bake time) to keep its bite, but it's not necessary.
• Chop your favorite greens, add to a big bowl along with skinned edamame peas, fresh basil, crumbled feta cheese and dry roasted pine nuts. To dry roast pine nuts you add pine nuts to a dry non-stick pan on medium high heat and cook until fragrant. Swirl the pan.
• To make the pasta salad dressing you add all the ingredients to a glass or jar with a lid. Shake until combined.
• Serve cold: Wait until both pasta and roasted vegetables are cold before combining.
• Serve hot: Wait with cooking pasta so that it's freshly cooked when the roasted vegetables are done. Drain the pasta and serve rather immediately. My preferred way.
• Drizzle over the desired amount of basil lemon vinaigrette. A little goes a long way! Start with 2 teaspoon and see what you like.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, FETA AND FRIED LEMON

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water to stop cooking and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking; set aside.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts, if using, and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until walnuts are toasted and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer the walnuts to a small bowl (leaving the oil behind) and season with salt; set aside.
• Add shallots and lemon to the oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until both the shallots and lemons are totally softened and have begun to caramelize, 5 to 8 minutes. Add capers and stir to coat in the oil, letting them sizzle a minute or two.
• Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. (Do not be alarmed at the amount of zucchini in the skillet; it will cook down by about half.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until much of the water has evaporated from the zucchini and it has totally softened, become translucent and is beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. (This mixture should be very flavorful and lightly saucy.)
• Remove pan from heat and add pasta, tossing to coat. (If your skillet is very full, you can always transfer everything to a large bowl and toss to coat there.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and top with toasted walnuts, feta and herbs, finishing with a drizzle of olive oil.