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Easy Pasta Salad With Feta, Lemon, and Herbs - Bright, Fresh, and Ready Fast

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces short pasta (fusilli, rotini, farfalle, or penne)
  • 1 cup crumbled feta (block feta in brine is best)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small English cucumber, diced
  • 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (optional but great)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1–2 lemons (about 3–4 tablespoons, to taste)
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey (or a pinch of sugar)
  • 1/2–3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water to stop the cooking. Shake off excess water.
  2. Make the lemon dressing. In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust lemon or salt as needed.
  3. Prep the add-ins. Halve tomatoes, dice cucumber, thinly slice onion, and chop herbs. If using olives, halve them.
  4. Toss while warm. Add the slightly warm pasta to the bowl with the dressing and toss well. Warm pasta absorbs flavor better, so this step matters.
  5. Add the veggies and herbs. Fold in tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, parsley, mint, and dill. Toss gently to combine.
  6. Finish with feta. Sprinkle feta over the top and fold it in carefully so some pieces stay chunky. Add another drizzle of olive oil if it looks dry.
  7. Rest and serve. Let the salad sit for 10–15 minutes so flavors meld. Taste again and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.