Summer Salad Before Summers' End

 

It was a late summer Saturday.  Yard work was completed, laundry was done and we needed a relaxing afternoon on the patio.  Hubby scoured the big blue binder and found a recipe we have tried before.  We knew it was a hit because it was an Ina Garten recipe and the notation on the page was "great".  We would love to live next door to her and be invited over to sample what she is making.

Off to the grocery store for the necessary ingredients and other dinner accompaniments.  It is a costly salad but it makes a ton.  You will be eating this for days!  It was a great late summer salad to make and went very well with our Rombauer Saturday.  

Tomato Feta Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
Kosher salt
Good olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
1 pound good feta cheese, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
For the dressing:
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, feta and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley, and toss well.