We’ve just passed Memorial Day, also known as the unofficial launch of summer. And I've come to deliver your ticket to popularity this summer. You will bring this side dish to cookouts and everyone will want the recipe. You will make this for a boy and he will propose to you...maybe all over again. Girls will have second helpings because it seems so light and low cal (it’s not) but you’ll love sharing this with your girl friends, anyway. And your kids—they’ll gobble it up. Or at least the parts they like. It’s a chunky pasta salad so anyone could pick around the ingredients they don’t like. Unless they don’t like the dressing. Or feta. In which case…..consider getting them out of your life. (I joke.) (Sort of.)
Ok, I can at least guarantee the first one. People will want this recipe. This is E Z. Is there any other kind of recipe in the summer?
This serves four large two-cup servings according to the recipe but I wanted this to be a cool side dish to accompany steak and sautéed zucchini and just for three of us so I halved the recipe making accommodations to what I had on hand.
For instance, it calls for two cups of grape tomatoes and one cup of grapes. I had this many:
Some leftover grapes from a fruit salad and eight cherry tomatoes from our patio pots. Worked fine but more of each would have been nice.
The dressing calls for white balsamic but I only had the darker on hand. The color is slightly affected from the brown tint of the vinegar but the flavor is still outstanding. Combine with minced garlic, shallots (I used the whites of about three green onions minced), some Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. I didn’t have capers called for in the original recipe. It worked fine without them but I would love to try this again with them. This recipe has you slowly adding a bit of olive oil whisking to combine. I prefer the Jamie Oliver jar jam dressing approach---being throw it all together in an empty jam jar and shake the heck out of it. If it settles or separates, shake it again.
Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir gently to combine covering all the ingredients. Add the feta cheese. Again, slightly toss.
Looks lovely. Smells divine. Tangy from the balsamic and garlic. Salty from the feta. Bursts of sweet grapes and tomatoes. Green, herby basil.
It takes longer to boil the pasta than put this pasta salad together and makes a great addition to dinner or a party. I predict you’ll find reasons to make it all summer.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta, about half a package
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (I used regular)
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallots (I used green onions)
- 2 teaspoons capers (I omitted)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. Combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, grapes, and basil in a large bowl.
3. Combine vinegar and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. (Or mix all together in an empty jam jar and shakey shake it.)
4. Drizzle vinaigrette over pasta mixture; toss well to coat.
5. Add cheese; toss to combine.
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