Summer Pasta Salad with Tomato, Feta and Orange Dressing

Name: Summer Pasta Salad with Tomato, Feta and Orange Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/2 lbs Pasta, I used Tomato Semolina Dried Penne Pasta; 1/4 Cup Feta Cheese, plus extra for garnish; 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Or Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half; 1 Cup Green Peas, frozen sweet green peas, blanched in boiling water for 1 minute; Salt, for cooking pasta; 1 Oranges, zest and juice of 1 medium orange (about 4 tbsp juice); 4 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 Lemon, Zest and juice of one lemon; Salt and Black Pepper, as per taste; 2 tbsp Basil, fine chopped basil or mint leaves

Posted By Savita

Quick & Easy Pastas Salads

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Sharing with you easy pasta salad recipe with sweet grape tomatoes, feta cheese in lite orange dressing. An easy side salad which you can ready in minutes.

Among wide variety of pasta salads, cold salads with lite and lemony dressing are my favorite in summers. Other than serving pool side parties, chilled pasta salads with vibrant and lite flavors of summers can be filling yet satisfying lunch salad too.

You can totally make this salad ahead of time for parties or carry this salad for pot luck. Make the dressing and mix in the cooked pasta. Due to lemon and olive oil in dressing, pasta pieces will not stick to each other and will taste good longer.

I prefer to mix 3/4 of dressing in cooked pasta and keep rest in small container to stir in just before serving. As pasta sits, it absorbs water or any other liquids. This can make salad look dry if sitting for long time. But you can brighten it up again by mixing in leftover dressing just before serving it to the guests.

I often call it my "easy refrigerator summer salad". Well, don't you think this salad has most common ingredients available in any pantry and fridge? I bet you have all these ingredients available right now to make this quick salad for lunch tomorrow. Or if you don't have grape tomatoes, you can use seeded and diced ripe roma tomatoes in this salad. Use edamame or shelled fava beans instead of green peas. Use goat cheese or queso fresco instead of feta cheese.

Checkout these recipes for three course Italian Dinner

Italian Rice Balls Basic Rosemary Focaccia Bread Strawberry Yogurt Swirls

Summer Pasta Salad with Tomato, Feta and Orange Dressing

Total Time: 17 mins Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 7 mins

Cuisine: Italian Category: Pasta, Side Dish, Salad Difficulty: Easy

Yields: 4 Servings Serves: 4

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Ingredients

Pasta Salad
1/2 lbs Pasta (I used Tomato Semolina Dried Penne Pasta)
1/4 Cup Feta Cheese (plus extra for garnish)
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (Or Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half)
1 Cup Green Peas (frozen sweet green peas, blanched in boiling water for 1 minute)
Salt (for cooking pasta)
Orange Dressing
1 Oranges (zest and juice of 1 medium orange (about 4 tbsp juice))
4 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lemon (Zest and juice of one lemon)
Salt and Black Pepper (as per taste)
Optional Toppings
2 tbsp Basil (fine chopped basil or mint leaves)

Directions

1. Fill a wide bowl in ice water and keep aside. Bring water for pasta to rolling boil. Season with salt. Add sweet green peas and boil for 1 minute. Remove peas from boiling water and shock'em in cold water. Drain and set aside. In boiling water, now add pasta and cook per package directions (about 7-8 minutes or until al-dente).
2. While paste is cooking, mix orange juice, lemon juice and zest with olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well and leave aside.
3. Once pasta is cooked, drain pasta water. Transfer pasta to a wide bowl. Mix in orange dressing and toss well to combine. Now add sliced tomatoes, blanched peas, feta cheese. Toss gently. Serve chilled or at room temperature.