Pasta Salad
Pasta salad being plated.
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces paccheri or fusilli pasta
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup English peas, shelled
- 1 bunch Swiss chard (about 5 cups loosely packed leaves), chopped
- Optional: 1/2 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed, chopped
- 3/4 cup snap peas, sliced
- Optional: 1/2 zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese, plus more for garnishing
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, plus more for garnishing
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Method
- Create a bowl of ice cold water and ice cubes to shock your vegetables to stop the cooking process.
- Bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil and season with ¼ cup salt. Blanch peas for 30 seconds and move to ice water to shock.
- Blanch Swiss chard leaves for 45 seconds to a minute, until tender and move to ice water to shock.
- Add enough salt to water so it “tastes of the sea” and boil the fusilli in until fully cooked according to package instructions.
- Drain the pasta and set aside to cool.
- Dry peas and swiss chard on a towel until ready to use.
- Chop chard into bite-sized pieces.
- To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot through the dried chili flakes in a large bowl.
- Add cooked and cooled pasta. Toss to combine, add chard, peas, snap peas, feta, and herbs. Toss and season to taste.
- Serve, garnishing with more herbs, feta, and lemon as desired. Enjoy!