Name: Greek Pasta Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Ingredients: 12 oz. Farfalle pasta, cooked according to package; 1 English cucumber, half slices; 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved; 1/2 cup red onion, diced; 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced; 4 oz feta cheese; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/3 cup red wine vinegar; 1/2 cup green onions, sliced; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp basil, dried; 1 tsp dill, dried; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 tsp sugar

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Who's ready for summer? One bite of this easy Greek Pasta Salad and you'll feel like you just stepped onto your patio on a warm summer evening. Greek veggies, bowtie pasta, feta and a flavour-packed salad dressing all marry together into the perfect side dish that screams barbecues and sunny afternoons. Ready to skip ahead to summer? Mix up a big bowl of this tasty recipe and you'll be pulling out your flip flops and sunscreen! — YI DIGITAL CAMERA

I found this recipe for Greek Pasta Salad in a stack of old recipes I was gifted from my Grandma. When my grandmother moved into an assisted living home, my aunt, my uncle and my dad were tasked with selling her house. We were each asked if there was anything we’d like from grandma’s home as a keepsake. I knew immediately, what my heart was set on. It was her handwritten recipe cards. And it is a gift I will forever treasure.

When my parents showed up to visit, my mom handed me a bright pink bag full of recipes. Some of the recipes are clippings from old newspapers, some handwritten on lined paper, some scribbled on the backs of empty envelopes. Some are from my great grandmothers, some from my great aunts and some from friends of my grandma. It’s incredible the history in these recipes.

When I came across this particular recipe it called for different vegetables. But when I read through it I knew this salad could take on a Greek flavour and would be incredible. So I swapped out some of the vegetables. But I wanted to keep the salad dressing mostly how it was written because it sounded so good! And it is, I did add and tweak a few things here or there, but for the most part, the dressing stayed the same.

My grandmother wrote a note at the top of the sheet of paper. It reads from Muggs, (my grandfather’s sister) excellent–Southern Living 1986 annual recipe, page 120. So, I have my sweet Grandma, my fun-loving aunt and Southern Living to thank for this recipe. Fun fact, my auntie Muggs had a copy of every Southern Living magazine since it first started publishing.

My auntie Muggs was the best, you would have loved her. She was the fun aunt. The aunt who in her 80s was still calling to chit chat about boys and gossip about family. I loved her dearly and miss her like crazy. She may have been decades older than I am, but she never made me feel anything less than her equal.

Let’s talk about this pasta salad for a minute. When I took that first bite back at the beginning of March. I immediately wanted to dig out my barbecue, put on my flip flops, a tank top, and sit out in the sun. It literally took me from the boring dreary winter months, right up into summer and I want to stay right there with this phenomenal pasta salad. Here’s the steps so you can get on board with this summer side!

How to make Greek Pasta Salad

This salad is totally craveable, both of my kids demolished their plates of pasta salad. I ate multiple bowls until it was all gone! It’s delicious! It’s a recipe that I will make over and over and over. The dressing was light, bright and truly addictive. A salad dressing so good that you can use it on any kind of pasta salad and not go wrong.

To make this tasty side, start by boiling the bow-tie noodles in heavily salted water because Cat Cora of the Food Network says so and it truly makes a huge difference! Rinse the pasta under cold water and set it aside. Cut the veggies and whip together the dressing. Toss everything together along with the feta cheese and let it sit for a while.

The longer it sits the better it gets. Everything seems to marry together and you end up with this bowlful of summer that you could totally eat by itself, but it does make a wonderful side dish. I’m gonna be honest here, we ate it for about three days in a row because it is just that good. I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s a recipe that’s linked to the past, but after one bite and the summer feelings it evokes, I’m sure it’ll be a part of your present and future!

Loved Greek Pasta Salad? Check out these other delicious summer-time recipes, I’m sure they’ll hit the spot:

If you get a chance to make this or any other recipe on the blog and want to share. Please feel free to tag @candyjarchronicles or use #candyjarchronicles on Instagram, so I can see your post. I’d love to see what you’re cooking in your kitchen!

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