Kalamata olives get their deep purple color from a wine-vinegar cure that takes a full 3 months to develop.
Greek Pasta Salad
Dive into a vibrant bowl of Greek Pasta Salad, where al dente pasta meets crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and briny olives for a refreshing twist! Tossed in a zesty olive oil and lemon dressing, this dish is a breeze to whip up and perfect for any occasion. Get ready to savor a burst of Mediterranean flavors in every bite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
8
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This rice-shaped pasta nonsense started when Italian traders dumped kritharaki on Greek islands during the 1800s, and the locals, never ones to waste a good carbohydrate, promptly drowned it in feta and cucumber—creating a dish that's really Italy wearing a Greek fisherman's hat while sunbathing on Santorini, utterly confused about its own nationality but tasting glorious regardless.
Regional Twist
On Crete, cooks swap the standard feta for the island's tangier mizithra cheese and add a splash of raki to the balsamico dressing, giving this pasta salad a boozy, mountain-village backbone that mainland Athens simply cannot replicate, however hard it tries.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 400 g Salatgurke (14.1 oz)
- 1-2 Knobizehen, fein gehackt
- 1 rote Zwiebel
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 250 g Feta (8.82 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 30 ml Olivenöl (1.01 fl oz)
- 250 g Risoni Nudeln (Kritharaki) (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 50 ml Balsamico hell oder Kräuteressig (1.69 fl oz)
- 3-5 EL frischer Dill (45-75 ml)
- Pfeffer und Salz
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 EL süßer Senf (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 400 g Cherrytomaten (14.1 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
260
Protein
9g
Carbs
31g
Fat
11g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the Risoni pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and crumbled feta cheese.
- 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, chopped dill, sweet mustard, salt, and pepper.
- 4
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine.
- 5
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ice the cooked risoni immediately after draining (within 30 seconds) by spreading it on a sheet pan, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before dressing to prevent starch gelatinization and keep grains separate rather than clumping.timing2 hours refrigeration minimum
- ✓Salt your risoni cooking water to 1.5% salinity and cook to exactly 2 minutes under al dente (still slightly firm to bite), since the pasta will continue hydrating by 15-20% as the acidic vinegar dressing (50 ml in this recipe) is absorbed over 4-6 hours.technique1.5% salinity, 2 minutes under al dente
- ✓Dice cucumbers 30 minutes before serving and salt them at 2% of their weight (8g per 400g), which draws out water via osmosis and concentrates flavor, then drain excess liquid before adding to prevent diluting the dressing.ingredient2% salt by weight, 30 minutes before serving
- ✓Emulsify your dressing by whisking olive oil and vinegar at a 3:5 ratio (30ml oil to 50ml vinegar here) with the sweet mustard acting as emulsifier; the lecithin in mustard stabilizes the oil droplets in the acidic vinegar for up to 8 hours.technique3:5 oil-to-vinegar ratio
- ✓Add fresh dill at serving time, not during dressing preparation, because the volatile aromatic compounds degrade by 40-60% when exposed to acid (vinegar) and oxygen for more than 2 hours.timingAdd within 2 hours of serving
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
8
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Kalamata olives get their deep purple color from a wine-vinegar cure that takes a full 3 months to develop.
Greek Pasta Salad
Dive into a vibrant bowl of Greek Pasta Salad, where al dente pasta meets crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and briny olives for a refreshing twist! Tossed in a zesty olive oil and lemon dressing, this dish is a breeze to whip up and perfect for any occasion. Get ready to savor a burst of Mediterranean flavors in every bite!
The Story
This rice-shaped pasta nonsense started when Italian traders dumped kritharaki on Greek islands during the 1800s, and the locals, never ones to waste a good carbohydrate, promptly drowned it in feta and cucumber—creating a dish that's really Italy wearing a Greek fisherman's hat while sunbathing on Santorini, utterly confused about its own nationality but tasting glorious regardless.
Regional Twist
On Crete, cooks swap the standard feta for the island's tangier mizithra cheese and add a splash of raki to the balsamico dressing, giving this pasta salad a boozy, mountain-village backbone that mainland Athens simply cannot replicate, however hard it tries.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 400 g Salatgurke (14.1 oz)
- 1-2 Knobizehen, fein gehackt
- 1 rote Zwiebel
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 250 g Feta (8.82 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 30 ml Olivenöl (1.01 fl oz)
- 250 g Risoni Nudeln (Kritharaki) (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 50 ml Balsamico hell oder Kräuteressig (1.69 fl oz)
- 3-5 EL frischer Dill (45-75 ml)
- Pfeffer und Salz
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 EL süßer Senf (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 400 g Cherrytomaten (14.1 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
260
Protein
9g
Carbs
31g
Fat
11g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the Risoni pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and crumbled feta cheese.
- 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, chopped dill, sweet mustard, salt, and pepper.
- 4
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine.
- 5
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ice the cooked risoni immediately after draining (within 30 seconds) by spreading it on a sheet pan, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before dressing to prevent starch gelatinization and keep grains separate rather than clumping.timing2 hours refrigeration minimum
- ✓Salt your risoni cooking water to 1.5% salinity and cook to exactly 2 minutes under al dente (still slightly firm to bite), since the pasta will continue hydrating by 15-20% as the acidic vinegar dressing (50 ml in this recipe) is absorbed over 4-6 hours.technique1.5% salinity, 2 minutes under al dente
- ✓Dice cucumbers 30 minutes before serving and salt them at 2% of their weight (8g per 400g), which draws out water via osmosis and concentrates flavor, then drain excess liquid before adding to prevent diluting the dressing.ingredient2% salt by weight, 30 minutes before serving
- ✓Emulsify your dressing by whisking olive oil and vinegar at a 3:5 ratio (30ml oil to 50ml vinegar here) with the sweet mustard acting as emulsifier; the lecithin in mustard stabilizes the oil droplets in the acidic vinegar for up to 8 hours.technique3:5 oil-to-vinegar ratio
- ✓Add fresh dill at serving time, not during dressing preparation, because the volatile aromatic compounds degrade by 40-60% when exposed to acid (vinegar) and oxygen for more than 2 hours.timingAdd within 2 hours of serving