MADDIE DAY here, with a warm-weather dish. Yes, it's only mid-May, but we had a heat wave here this week, and I couldn't bear much cooking in 93-degree weather. I turned on the vent above the stove and boiled a pot of pasta, then threw together this salad once the pasta cooled.
It's adaptable to whatever vegetables and herbs you have around.
Spring Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Half a box of shaped pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 cup diced cucumber
3 small tomatoes, cubes
1/4 cup diced yellow pepper
1/4 cup diced feta cheese
1 teaspoon capers
salt and pepper
Directions
Cook the pasta according the directions on the box. Rinse, toss with the olive oil, and let cool. Combine all other ingredients and toss, then add salt and pepper to taste. Fresh slivered basil would be a nice addition, but I didn't have any.
We ate outdoors with grilled salmon and chilled white wine. Bon appetit!
Readers: What do you like in your pasta salad?
🥗🍷🥗
A Poisonous Pour is out and available wherever books are sold!
Next up is Murder at the Toy Soldier, Cozy Capers Book Group #8, which releases in late August.
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Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.
Thank you for the Spring Pasta Salad recipe! Sounds like a great addition to a perfect meal. With our tomatoes starting to put on as well as the other veggies growing, I can imagine how it would tastes with fresh from the garden veggies.
ReplyDeleteYes, summer weather seems to have came early on several days here in the south as well. That's when hubby grills outside and I fix simple, but delicious sides to go with it inside. While I still cook big meals in the summer that require more than one burner on the stove while the a/c is jacked down to cool off the house, I do so love fixing meals when it gets warm that doesn't require me to feel like I need to strip and the a/c running full blast. Thank you for the great suggestion for one of those hot day meals!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thanks!
DeleteThanks for the hot weather pasta salad recipe, Edith! It does feel like summer came too early, even here in coastal southern California. I love the versatility of salads like this and my extra addition would be artichoke hearts.
ReplyDeleteGreat addition. I have a (very) few asparagus stalks in the garden, and I meant to chop and add those but I forgot.
DeleteInstead of capers I usually add sliced olives to my pasta salad. Also sometimes more protein, like diced ham, chicken or tuna, or occasionally hard-boiled eggs. And yes to artichoke hearts and/or asparagus!
ReplyDeleteOnce again foiled by Blogger, ugh. Me above.
DeleteAll are good! I knew we were having salmon with it, but adding other protein is yummy.
DeleteSounds very good I will have to try it. I recall mayonnaise in the pasta salad my Mom made but this sounds lighter. Thank you for the recipe. Deborah
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty light. Thanks!
DeleteInteresting, I was pondering making a similar pasta salad this weekend. I use angel hair or thin spaghetti, Cherry tomatoes cut in half, capers, fresh basil tossed with a vinaigrette made with fresh ground pepper, raspberry vinegar and olive oil. Sometimes I make it a meal by adding shrimp or salmon and occasionally some avocado. Just the thing for a fun side or light main dish. Happy Memorial Day weekend!
ReplyDeleteMaddie, this already sounds great. I might add olives and fresh basil.
ReplyDeleteI had a pasta salad for lunch, the other day. It was similar, but it had peas and ham.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good. I love a pasta salad tossed with red peppers, black olives, cubes of cheddar, grape tomatoes and diced cucumbers. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here today and thanks for the Spring Pasta Salad recipe, I'm looking forward to your book A Poisonous Pour. luvhistoricalromance(AT)gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI like chopped onions and green peppers along with all the pasta and veggies, chicken or pork on the side or shimp too
DeleteArtichoke herts and onion are always good.
ReplyDeleteI like the color added by cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, chopped green peppers, chopped red onion. I sometimes make it with veggie pasta shapes. It's my "go to" dish when going to a potluck.
ReplyDeleteI love pasta salad. I've been making Orzo pasta salad with homemade balsamic dressing and sun-dried tomatoes so delicious. Can't wait to try yours.
ReplyDelete