- 3 Tbs white wine vinegar
- 1 tea Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove peeled, germ removed and smashed
- 1/4 tea Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tea fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 lb/ 8oz/ 228g dried pasta I like the small shape dried pasta like fusillini,-mini fusilli
- 1 English cucumber about 13 oz /363g in size
- 1 small zucchini about 1/2 lb/215g
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper
- 1 pint basket of cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 oz/ 116g cured black olives such as Kalamata olives pitted
- 4 oz/ 116 g crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese, fresh mozzarella
- 6 parsley sprigs
- 10 medium to large basil leaves
- 2 sprigs of lemon thyme optional
- Zest from 1 lemon
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Make the salad dressing at least a couple of hours ahead and rest it on the counter until ready to use.
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In a small glass jar with a tight lid, or a small bowl, add the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and garlic clove. Whisk, or shake if using a jar with a lid, together until combined.
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Pour the olive oil in a slow and steady stream into the bowl or jar and whisk, (or shake) the ingredients until emulsified.
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Set the salad dressing aside at room temperature for a couple of hours.
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Cook the pasta following the directions on the pack of the box of your purchased pasta. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander and cool it off by spraying cold water on the pasta. Shake the colander to remove excess water. Use a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel to soak up any water from the pasta. You want to dry the pasta as best you can, so the olive oil will adhere to the pasta.
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Once dried add the cooked pasta to a mixing bowl and add 1/2 Tb of extra virgin olive oil to the cooked pasta. Gently mix the pasta with your hands for the olive oil to lightly cover the pasta. (I do this to prevent the pasta from sticking together while I am preparing the vegetables. It only needs a very light coating of olive oil.)
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Clean and prepare all the garden vegetables. Cut the cucumber, zucchini, sweet bell pepper into small bite size pieces less than 1/2 inch in size. Add the prepared vegetables to the bowl with the pasta.
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Cut each olive in half to check for pits, if there are pits remove them to the trash. Cut each olive half in half or thirds and add to the pasta bowl.
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Cut the cherry or grape tomatoes in half and if prefer, cut each half in half. Add tomatoes to the bowl with other vegetables and pasta.
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Using clean hands or a mixing spoon gently mix the pasta and vegetables until they are all evenly combined.
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Stack the basil leaves on top of each other and roll the pile, lengthwise. Thinly slice the rolled basil leaves across the roll, chiffonade cut. Cut the pile of chiffonade basil in half to make shorter pieces.
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Chop the parsley, then add the herbs to the pasta and vegetables.
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Add the feta cheese, lemon zest, and half of the salad dressing, keep the garlic clove in the jar as you pour the salad dressing, or you can dispose of the garlic.
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Stir the vegetables pasta salad until everything is evenly combined. Taste the pasta salad and add more salad dressing and salt and pepper if needed.
Ahead of time preparation.
I make the salad dressing ahead of time to allow time for the garlic to infuse in the vinaigrette. I do not want the strong raw garlic flavor in the vinaigrette, so I remove the clove.
You can cook the pasta ahead of time and leave it covered on the counter until you are ready to assemble the pasta with the vegetables. You can also prepare all the vegetables and mix it with the pasta. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you need it. It is best to do this the same day of eating the pasta salad, as the vegetables will start breaking down once they have been cut. Add the fresh herbs, lemon zest, cheese, and salad dressing just before you plan to serve the pasta salad.
If you are making this with gluten-free pasta, I would not make the salad too far in advance as the gluten-free pasta breaks down a lot quicker than pasta made with wheat. Add the salad dressing just before serving so the pasta salad will not get mushy. You can also experiment using less acid in the dressing to keep it fresh for a longer period of time.