Scaldoni's Greek Pasta Salad

About 8 or 9 years ago, I attended a cooking class for Homemaking (back when it was called that) and we were fortunate enough to have the chef from a local restaurant here in town called Scaldoni's come and demonstrate this yummy pasta salad for us. For some reason, no one bothered to right down the recipe as he was demonstrating it. I was the only one. Goes to show you my true dedication to cooking was a little OCD-ish back then too. With that in mind and because I make it all the time, people seem to think that it's my recipe. I unfortunately can't take credit for this recipe as much as I want to. And believe me...I do! I think this is one pasta salad that I could never get sick of eating. The flavors of each of the ingredients blended together works perfectly. The tartness of the vinegar, the tang from the feta and the mild hot flavor from the pepperoncinis is all very delightful. So with that said, I hope you enjoy it as much as those who are lucky enough to eat this salad. I also love how healthy this recipe is. You could even use the new whole wheat versions of pasta and it would be so much more healthier.

Note: Each of the ingredients that were demonstrated that night never had exact amounts. And to this day I have never used exact amounts. You basically have to eyeball the amount and add each one to your liking. I really don't care for onions, but I know other people do, so I still add it but I slice them small so they don't affect me too much. Also, I really like the look of the bowtie pasta, but other shapes can be used too. A good rule of thumb is to cut the veggies around the same size as the pasta. Mainly the onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. Make sure you don't buy yellow banana peppers, look for the jar that says "peperoncinis". There's a difference!



Scaldoni's Greek Pasta Salad

12-16 oz. box of pasta: bowties, spiral, rigatoni or penne, cooked
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Greek Seasoning mix (see pic above)
1 large can of olives, sliced
1 large cucumber, seeded and cubed
1 container of feta cheese
2-3 roma tomatoes, seeded and cubed
1 jar of deli-sliced, greek peperoncinis
1 purple onion, sliced

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, prepare veggies and set aside. Drain pasta in strainer and pour back into pot to cool. DO NOT RUN COLD WATER OVER PASTA! The starch gets washed away and makes it hard for the pasta soak in the flavorings of each of the ingredients. Just keep tossing it to let out the heat. You may add a few tablespoons of olive oil to loosen the pasta so it doesn't stick. The cooling process takes a while so plan accordingly.

Once pasta has cooled, start adding enough red wine vinegar, oil and seasoning to coat the pasta lightly. Start out minimally so that it doesn't overpower the pasta at the beginning. Add in each of the veggies and season once again with the vinegar, oil and seasoning. Toss completely. Taste test the pasta to see if flavor is to your liking. It should taste tangy and somewhat peppery from the seasoning and peperoncinis. Add in feta cheese at the very end. Store in airtight container in refridgerator until ready to serve. Nostimmos! (Greek for delicious!)