This pasta salad made our Easter BBQ complete! Instead of the traditional mayonnaise-base, we decided Greek Yogurt would offer a much better base for our pasta salad offering. We are taking our Greek yogurt dressing into this pasta salad for an absolutely delicious dish! This is perfect for any time of the year and easily be made into a meal all on its own. As is, this would be a great vegetarian dish! Make the dressing and boil the pasta the night before. The dressing will need time to come together in the fridge. The pasta will be perfect the next day for tossing in the remainder of the ingredients. Key Note: Do not use reduced fat or fat-free yogurt. These are filled with artificial sugars, artificial fats, stabilizers and preservatives that negatively impact the flavor of what yogurt should taste like. Full fat will give you the ultimate flavor profile as it works together with the dried spices and other ingredients.
INGREDIENTS: 12-16oz Pasta, your choice, cooked al-dente 4oz Short cucumbers, sliced 4oz Bell Peppers, chopped 4oz Cherry Tomatoes 4oz Feta, cubed (to your liking) 3-4oz Sun-dried Tomatoes - drained, rough chopped
3oz Kalamata Olives, rough chopped 1-2oz Red Onion, thinly sliced (to your liking) Greek Yogurt Dressing Your pasta and your Greek Yogurt dressing should be made the night before. This will be a perfect time to get everything else prepped and ready for mixing together the next day!
In a large mixing bowl, toss your cooked pasta around to make sure it is not wet with water, nor clumped together. Now, it's time to add the rest of your ingredients!
You have the decision-making when it comes to the type of pasta, how much red onion you like and if you are feta-freaks like we are. Just enjoy this experience and have fun!
Don't worry about the olive oil from your packed sun-dried tomatoes. Drain it as best as you can. Olive oil will simply add more flavor to your salad! Red onions - this is really an ingredient that you have to make the decision on just how much you prefer. The key here is to keep your knife cuts as thin as possible. Good knife skills will do the job well. If you feel confident and can do so safely, a food slicer/Mandolin will definitely work well!
How much dressing really depends on your personal preferences. I recommend starting with half the batch of Greek yogurt dressing and mix well. Taste the salad and determine if you want more. Once completely mixed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. This is a great meal all on its own! Or, if you have some grilled chicken, steak tips, or shrimp, this will surely hit the spot!
