Description

Nagi’s Big, Easy Pasta Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish featuring bow tie pasta tossed with fresh cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and creamy Greek feta. Enhanced by a zesty dressing of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and herbs, this pasta salad is perfect for quick meal prep or serving a crowd with its balanced combination of fresh ingredients and bold flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta and Vegetables

500g (1 lb) bow tie pasta (farfalle) or other short/medium pasta
2 cucumbers, halved lengthways and finely sliced (~17cm/7″ long, sliced 2mm/1/16″)
3 cups (500g) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (or 4 regular tomatoes, chopped)

Other Salad Ingredients

1/3 cup roughly chopped Kalamata olives (from 3/4 cup pitted whole or 1/2 cup sliced)
200g (7oz) Greek feta, cut into 6mm (1/4″) batons
1 packed cup basil leaves, torn by hand

Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
2 tsp honey (can substitute maple syrup or 1 tsp sugar)
1 1/2 tsp Italian herb mix
3/4 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the bow tie pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta while it is still hot to help it absorb the dressing flavors.
Prepare the Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, halve and finely slice the cucumbers, halve the cherry tomatoes, and roughly chop the Kalamata olives if whole. Tear the basil leaves by hand to retain their flavor.
Make the Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, Italian herb mix, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
Toss Pasta in Dressing: Immediately transfer the hot, drained pasta into the bowl with the dressing and toss well so the pasta absorbs the vibrant flavors.
Add Vegetables and Feta: Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, torn basil, and feta batons to the dressed pasta. Toss gently to combine all ingredients while keeping the feta intact.
Serve or Chill: The salad can be served immediately while the pasta is slightly warm or chilled for later use. The flavors deepen beautifully when chilled.

Notes

Watch the recipe video for a visual guide on preparation and tossing techniques.
The hot pasta tossed in dressing absorbs much more flavor, elevating this dish to serve guests impressively.
This is a simple yet perfectly balanced pasta salad; no need to overcomplicate with many extra ingredients.
Workflow tip: chop vegetables and prepare the dressing while pasta cooks to keep active prep time under 15 minutes.
Basil alternatives include fresh parsley, mint, or oregano depending on your taste preference.
If Dijon mustard is not available, it can be omitted without greatly impacting the overall flavor.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 617 kcal
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 915 mg
Fat: 29 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 72 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 17 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg