Where are you reading this from? I’m in Atlanta and let me tell you – summertime here can get HOT. As much as I love being in the kitchen, having a hot oven running all day during the summer just isn’t it for me. A lot of my meal choices around this time lean towards those that don’t require standing over a stove! Enter: my Mediterranean pasta salad.
This pasta salad is a favorite of mine for so many reasons.
- It comes together so easily – and only requires about 8 minutes of stove time for the pasta.
- Pasta salad is a great meal prep option, especially for workday lunches.
- I love Mediterranean flavor profiles – so light and full of flavor!
- This has tons of veggies in it which always makes me feel great about what I’m eating.
Sometimes I make this non-dairy by omitting the feta cheese, but honestly, c’est la vie! You get a ton of veggies and with whole-grain pasta, there’s lots of fiber that will keep you fuller for longer. This keeps very well in the fridge (but I haven’t seen it last too long in my household!) The longer it sits, the more the flavors deepen and develop.
Be sure to toss this Mediterranean pasta salad with my easy lemon-herb vinaigrette that comes together in less than 5 minutes! It has the perfect light, lemony flavor to go with all of these fresh veggies.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz. rotini pasta
- 1 ct. cucumber
- 8 oz. cherry tomatoes sliced
- 6 oz. pitted black olives sliced
- ⅛ cup Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
- ½ oz. feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Add water and salt to a pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then boil pasta for about 8 minutes or until al dente.
- To stop the cooking process, drain pasta and immediately add to an ice bath (cold water + ice). This helps the pasta maintain its firmness for the salad.
- Prepare lemon-herb vinaigrette (if not already prepped – it's ready in less than 5 minutes!)
- Drain pasta, then add veggies, vinaigrette, and feta cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Stir to combine and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors marinate. This can keep for about a week in the fridge. Enjoy!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $0.84
- Total Cost (6 servings): $5.01
- Those Other Guys: $4.99+ per serving
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