greek-ish pasta salad
+ an invitation to my nyc pasta salad party!!!
Hello WOOOORLD,
Has everyone been having a fabulous summer so far?! Full of peaches and tomatoes and watermelon and heaps of pasta salad?! Okay I’ll answer first. My summer is on the up! I’m finally feeling much more ~adjusted~ in our new place and have inspiration to dive into summer recipes. I was going through a little chaotic creative rut back there because a mess irl = a mess in my head. But the apartment is getting furnished, I’m getting organized and the ongoing list of recipes I want to make in my notes app is getting longer everyday so buckle up!!
AAAND I am super super excited for where summer is headed because pinch me - I’m hosting a pasta salad party with Ciao Evento next month in NYC!!! It’s a good day to be a New Yorker :’)
You may have seen Ciao Eventos before on TikTok, known for their fun fresh pasta making classes and that’s exactly what this is going to be! It’s an open spritz + wine bar, we’re gonna be dancin, we’re gonna learn how to make fresh pasta that you can take home after (!!!), we’re going to eat pasta + delectable lil appetizers prepared by the chefs there and I’ll be making my Peaches n’ Cream pasta salad for everyone to try! So it’s quite literally, a pasta. salad. PARTY. I cannnn’t wait and hope to see you there if you’re around :’) You can buy tickets here!
With that being said, it only felt appropriate to drop another pasta salad recipe and this one embodies my favorite cucumber tomato salad so I already knew it was going to HIT. It’s packed with cheese because if it’s not going to have an meat it sure as hell should be made up in cheese amirite? Halloumi is one of my favorite cheeses ever, and I’m always eating it cold before it even hits the pan. As for the feta aspect, I made these feta crisps in the MICROWAVEEE and I truly will never be the same again. I mean how am I supposed to not put these on everything I eat now??? Let’s dissect this:
greek-ish pasta salad:
8 oz pasta (I used goodles so that’s the standard package size, but just double this recipe if you want to make a usual 16 oz)
4 persian cucumbers, diced
1 heaping quart assorted cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup banana peppers/pepperoncinis
1/3 cup of pickled red onion (thinly sliced raw onions rinsed in cold water would work great too)
8 oz package of halloumi
5 oz feta, not in brine
6-7 radishes, cut into strips
1 heaping tablespoon sundried tomatoes in oil
7 dashes of red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lemon, charred on the pan
handful of dill, roughly chopped
6 mint leaves, finely chopped
dried oregano, salt + pepper, sumac
honey + olive oil, as needed
add your quartered tomatoes, red wine vinegar, a veryyy generous glug of olive oil (like 1/3 cup), a pinch of salt and a few hits of dried oregano to a bowl. give it a mix - you want it very juicy + saucy looking, the warm pasta is going to absorb a lot of that liquid.
set aside while you boil your pasta (in salted water!!) to peak readiness. rinse in cold water, but not entirely, leave it slightly warm to absorb the juices from our tomato mixture. combine the two together, mix and set aside to cool as you make the rest of the salad.
for the feta crisps: cut your block of feta into about 1/4 inch slices. line a microwave safe plate with parchment paper and put the feta slices at least 2 inches away from each other. put in the microwave for 1 minute to start. they will bubble and slowly fully turn golden brown. microwave for another minute, flipping halfway through. finally, cook for another 30 sec - 1 minute checking and flipping them to ensure they’re cooking evenly. you’re looking for almost no white spots left and a deep golden brown color. set them aside on the parchment to fully cool, then they can easily be crumbled!!
for the hot honey halloumi: cut 3 large slices of halloumi for ~garnish~ and cube the rest into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces. if you don’t care for the garnish, cube the whole block. bring a pan to medium heat with a bit of avocado oil and add your halloumi, tossing every few minutes to brown each side. add a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds, a dash or two of red pepper flakes + a “figure 8” of honey. continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes until everything is bubbling and golden delicious. remove from heat and let cool slightly.
transfer your cooled pasta/tomato mixture to a serving bowl. add all of your chopped vegetables + halloumi cubes. crush your feta crisps on top, squeeze your charred lemons, sprinkle about 1 tbsp of sumac, and dress with another generous glug of olive oil. I used Brightland’s Pizza Oil because it’s the best thing in this world, and a pasta salad ESSENTIAL (not spons, I just love it) You can order it here. Give it a mixy, you want your salad glistening with beautiful olive oil and tomato juices. This is practically a salad so it’s fine to eat the entire serving. I say so.
Thing’s I’ve been eating up this summer:
As I’ve already mentioned, Brightland’s Pizza Oil. Probably my summer ride or die. It’s herby, it’s spicy, it’s umami. It just came back in stock after weeks of being sold out so I strongly suggest getting a bottle, you really won’t regret it - it works on EVERYTHING and just makes it taste better.
My Stanley cup. Specifically in Citron, this color is essential to full enjoyment. I mean, yeah I’m basic but I have an emotional attachment to it now and drink so much water so I really don’t care lol.
Homemade labneh. Labneh is so expensive and I was last week old when I learned how easy it is to make??? Recipe coming next week, it’s a banger.
Via Carota bottled cocktails. Okay, woah? I got sent their espresso martini last week and I was in shock how fresh and smooth it tasted. I could’ve thought I was at a cocktail bar tbh.
GOODLES!! I just tried these for the first time too, and am so pleased to have finally found a protein pasta that doesn’t make me so bloated + feel like exploding. The taste for me is exactly like regular pasta tbh and I love their shapes!
Okay my lovers, that is a wrap - I hope you try this pasta salad out and have the best Sunday ever! Talk super soon kiss kiss love u <3333 And if you plan on coming to the pasta salad party, I will SEE you soon!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxoxo,
Katie