Bow Tie Pasta Salad (Print version)
Cold bow tie pasta tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, parsley and a tangy red wine vinaigrette.
# What goes in:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz bow tie (farfalle) pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
07 - 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Cheese
08 - 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
→ Dressing
09 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
11 - 1 clove garlic, minced
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
# Cooking steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook bow tie pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, thinly sliced red onion, sliced black olives, and chopped fresh parsley until evenly distributed.
03 - In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until the mixture is fully emulsified and smooth.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly, ensuring every component is evenly coated with the vinaigrette.
05 - Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese, if using, taking care not to break it down too much during mixing.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and develop.
07 - Give the salad one final toss before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper as needed.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade, so if you accidentally make too much, drizzle it over grilled vegetables the next day and thank yourself later.
- It tastes even better after sitting overnight, which makes it the most low stress dish you can bring to any gathering.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is essential here because residual starch turns the salad gummy and clumped by the time it reaches the table.
- Underseasoning is the most common mistake with cold pasta, so taste it straight from the fridge and adjust boldly before serving.
03 -
- Cut every vegetable roughly the same size as a halved cherry tomato so each forkful delivers a little bit of everything.
- Make the dressing a day ahead and let it sit in the fridge because the garlic and oregano deepen overnight in a way they never can at the last minute.