Zucchini and Pasta Salad

By Kath Dedon

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Inspired by a beautiful Zucchini and Almond Pasta Salad on Smitten Kitchen, I made my version of Zucchini and Pasta Salad to take to a dinner party tonight.

I used French sheep milk’s feta instead of Parmesan cheese, and I added cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and just a bit of slivered basil. This is a salad that will keep well, so it’s a great choice when you want to take something to a party or on a picnic.

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Zucchini and Pasta Salad

(Adapted from a recipe on smittenkitchen.com)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 8

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1½ pounds zucchini (4 small ones), sliced very thinly

1 teaspoon salt

About ¾ pound of pasta (I used a 13.25 ounce box of Barilla whole grain rotini)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

½ cup kalamata olives, cut in half

1 cup (about 5 oz) feta cheese, cut into small cubes

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted and cooled (toast at 300˚ for about 10 minutes)

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1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

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3 large basil leaves, cut into thin strips, for garnish

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Slicing the zucchini:

1. Put the zucchini in a colander; toss it with the 1 teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse to remove the salt and drain.

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2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in salted water; drain and cool.

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3. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt together.

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Whisking with a Blender Bottle (very useful for quick salad dressings; I’ve seen them at Metropolitan Market in Seattle):

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4. Put the zucchini, pasta, tomatoes, olives, cheese and almonds in a large bowl. Gently toss with the dressing.

5. Garnish with the basil leaves.