Greek Summer Pasta Salad

Pasta salad just screams summer. When I think pasta salad, I think of picnics, days at the pool, and backyard bar-be-ques. It's cool, easy-to-make, and keeps fantastically so you can eat it all week, avoiding heating up your kitchen to cook. I have several go-to pasta salad recipes, but my favorite is my Mediterranean variety. It's loaded with veggies, feta, and balsamic, so it's a healthy summer dinner.

The best part about this recipe is the flexibility. Pretty much any Greek veggies taste great in it, and you can make as much or as little as you want. I don't even measure when I make it, I just keep adding things until I'm happy with it. There is one secret ingredient, but we'll get to that in a minute. This version of the recipe serves about 4 people.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups (dry) rotini pasta
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 cucumber
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1 tablespoon lite mayo

Again, you can add or subtract any veggies you want. Sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, or red onions would probably be delicious as well. If you're feeling up to it, you can make your own dressing, too. The measurements are approximate; I usually just dump things in there until I'm happy with it.

To make it vegan, just eliminate the mayo and feta. To give it an omnivore twist, grilled chicken would be delish.

Directions

Boil the pasta with salt and olive oil until al dente, about 9 minutes. Chop your veggies into chunks while its cooking. Drain and return to pot off the hot eye.

Add our secret ingredient - lite mayo - to the pasta and stir. This helps bind everything together and adds a touch of richness.

Dump all veggies into pasta dish.

Pour half of the dressing onto the dish, then stir. Once everything is incorporated, add feta and the rest of the dressing and stir.

Chill in the fridge for 1-3 hours before serving.

That's it! You really can't screw up pasta salad, so don't be afraid to experiment with ingredients. This time, I chose tomato basil feta instead of plain and it was delicious! I also want to try zucchini instead of cucumber next time to switch things up.