Ingredients:

  • 16 oz rotini pasta
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large English cucumber, quartered and sliced
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
  • 0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 0.25 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 0.33 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
  • 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the rotini for exactly one minute less than the package directions until al dente.
  2. Drain the pasta immediately and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds to stop carry-over cooking and remove excess starch. Shake well to dry.
  3. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until the vinaigrette is emulsified and thickened.
  4. While the pasta cools, chop the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, and red onion into uniform, bite-sized pieces.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled pasta and chopped vegetables. Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the mixture and toss thoroughly to coat.
  6. Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese, sliced Kalamata olives, and chopped fresh parsley. Drizzle with the remaining dressing just before serving.