Summer Pasta Salad

I mixed this up on a hot day when only a cold lunch sounded good. What’s the key to this recipe? It’s cooking the pasta until it’s al dente. Al dente means ‘to the tooth' so it sticks to your molars just a bit - the center remains slightly raw, which is exactly what you want! It’ll likely be finished cooking for this recipe 1-2 minutes early. Immediately drain and run cold water under until the pasta is cold to the touch and you can mix in all up and enjoy right then or save for a picnic later in the day. *If you plan to make today and eat tomorrow, it’s prudent to make double the salad dressing and coat in half today and just before serving toss with a few tablespoons full to refresh and add a bit more flavor.

For the salad:

4 ounces (2 cups) dried penne pasta

1/2 English cucumber

1/2 red bell pepper

1/4 red onion (or 1/4 cup pickled red onion)

1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained

1/4 brick of feta

3 sprigs cilantro

For the salad dressing:

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ lemon juiced

1 garlic clove

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon sea salt (I use Maldon)

¼ teaspoon pepper

scant 1/2 cup (100ml) extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Cook the pasta until al dente, approximately 1-2 less than stated cooking time on package. Drain under cold water and cool to the touch.

2. Meanwhile, slice the cucumber into half moons, slice the red bell pepper into very thin strips, slice the pickled red onion into bite-sized pieces, finely chop the cilantro sprigs and chop the feta into cubes or crumble. Place all ingredients into salad bowl.

3.  Whisk together the ingredients for the salad dressing and pour over the chopped veggies. Place in the refrigerator until the pasta is ready.

4. Mix all together with the drained, cold pasta. Enjoy right away or refrigerate until tomorrow. This keeps 1-2 days at most.