Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This recipe is adapted from a pasta-less recipe in Canadian Living's Rush Hour Cooking.  The Smaller One and I inhaled this.  The other two had reservations.  *rolls eyes*


Boil and chill your favourite pasta.  I think I used about three cups dried.

In the bottom of your large salad bowl, toss:
1 T minced fresh basil (I've been using freeze dried and I'm loving it)
2 T minced red onion
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half if they are larger
Feta cheese, diced (the original recipe said 2 oz.  I did not measure)
If you toss these together first, they will start making their own little yummy heaven.  The smell is so good.  I have a feta-ish (haha) for tomatoes, basil and feta.


Add to bowl:
1 chopped coloured pepper (yellow / orange are best for colour contrast)
1 chopped cucumber
People who enjoy olives may want to add ½ cup of black.  Shudder.


Salad Dressing (mix in a measuring up)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
3 T fresh minced basil
1/3 cup olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
40 turns of the pepper mill
2 green onions, chopped
The dressing should resemble a runny pesto with all the yummy basil in it.


Take your now-chilled pasta from the fridge and toss it and the salad dressing with your veggies.  The ratio of veggies to pasta should be at least 1:1.

Enjoy.  This is seriously yummy. I'm telling myself not to run to the fridge to devour the leftovers.