Mediterranean Crunch Pasta Salad
Nothing says fresh, summery flavors like Mediterranean cuisine. Juicy cherry tomatoes that pop in your mouth, Rich, briny olives. Crumbly feta cheese. And, of course, pasta. This pasta salad hits all the right notes, taking the Taylor Farms Organic Mediterranean Crunch Chopped Salad Kit to the next level. The kit gets you started with pre-washed organic romaine, chicory, broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage, and carrots, topped with crunchy flatbread strips and creamy feta. Just add chilled pasta, fresh tomatoes, olives, and cucumbers, and imagine you’re enjoying a picnic on a Greek island.
This kit is available in a 2-pack at Costco. You can also substitute our widely available single-pack Mediterranean Crunch Chopped Salad Kit.
- PREP TIME:
- 15 minutes
- Total TIME:
- 15 minutes (plus chilling, if desired)
- SERVINGS:
- 6–8
Ingredients
- 1 package Taylor Farms Organic Mediterranean Crunch Chopped Salad Kit or the Mediterranean Crunch Chopped Salad Kit
- 8 oz rotini pasta, cooked and cooled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup English cucumber (about 1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced)
- ¾ cup pitted green (or Kalamata) olives, sliced or halved
Directions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, Taylor Farms Organic Mediterranean Crunch Chopped Salad Kit, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and olives.
- Add the included dressing and toppings from the salad kit, then toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Chill for 20–30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Dial in Your Ingredients
Why Rotini?
If you’ve ever wondered why certain Italian dishes call for a specific pasta shape, it usually has to do with how that noodle holds up to the sauce or other ingredients. For this recipe, the spirals in rotini do an excellent job of capturing the salad dressing, crumbled feta, and other ingredients, so every bite is tasty. Other options include cavatappi, fusilli, or gigli. For a lighter, grain-bowl-style salad, try orzo.
Know Your Cucumbers
English cucumbers and their smaller Persian relatives have thin, edible skins and soft seeds. That means less work for a quick salad. If using standard slicer cucumbers, you may want to peel them first and scrape out the watery seed section with a spoon to avoid diluting the dressing.
Which Olive Is Best?
Green olives are more widely used in Spain and the Western Mediterranean. They have a sharper taste that adds a nice bite that cuts through the other ingredients. If you prefer more of a Greek flavor profile, go with Kalamata. These olives have a rich, almost wine-like flavor that pairs well with balsamic and feta.
