Do you have leftover cooked pasta in your fridge? Well then, add tomatoes, feta cheese and olives to it and turn it into a quick lunch idea.
Try my Greek penne pasta salad recipe, what a lovely wholesome and nutritious pasta salad!
I cooked a bunch of pasta for a classic pasta dinner with family last night.
And like any other night I always tend to cook way more pasta than we can eat. I would rather have a bunch of leftover cooked pasta in my fridge than unsatisfied stomachs and empty plates around my dinner table.
So the day after I am always in for a leftovers challenge.
Leftover Cooked Pasta
This time I used some of the leftover cooked pasta to make a lovely wholesome and nutritious Greek penne pasta salad for lunch for the two of us. I added the classic ingredients that normally go into a Greek salad. Fresh tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese and olives.
And what should I do with the rest of the cooked penne?
Well I think that I will make an Italian oven baked ziti later tonight for dinner. I seem to have all the necessary ingredients in my fridge and pantry, so why not give that one a try again.
It has been ages since I made baked ziti at home.
Easy Greek Penne Pasta Salad Recipe
So pasta salad it is.
However I have to admit that the hubs is not very much into cold pasta salads.
But this one he really liked a lot.
Well I guess it is more the mayo versions he’s not fond of.
This one on the other hand has some great fresh and crisp mediterranean flavors in it. If you are not a fan of olives, then you can replace them by capers or pine nuts. I’ve even added almonds to my Greek salads before.
Lunch Salad
The pasta turns it into a lovely wholesome and nutritious pasta lunch salad!
That gives some extra bite to this salad as well.
Enjoy!
Easy Greek Penne Pasta Salad Recipe
Leftover Greek salad in your fridge? Add cooked pasta and turn it into a quick lunch idea: try my Greek penne pasta salad recipe!
- 4,5 oz penne pasta (125 g), cooked
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 3 oz feta cheese (75 g)
- 3- inch fresh cucumber (7,5 cm)
- a handful black olives
- 1 slice red onion
- dried oregano or mixed herbs
- good quality olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh mint sliced
- pepper
- salt
- Rinse the cherry tomatoes, drain them on a clean kitchen towel and then slice them in half. Add the tomatoes to a large mixing bowl.
- Rinse the chunk of cucumber and slice it in half lengthwise. Slice the halves in half as well and then chop the cucumber up into thin bite-size bits. Add them to the sliced cherry tomatoes in the bowl.
Dice the feta cheese into smaller bits. Pick the red onion slice apart. Then add the red onion and diced feta to the bowl. Also add the black olives.
- Sprinkle the ingredients with the freshly chopped mint and the dried oregano (or mixed herbs). Season with a pinch of pepper and salt. Also add a good splash of the olive oil.
- Stir the ingredients for the salad very well now. Then check the seasoning and add extra pepper, salt, freshly chopped mint or dried oregano (or mixed herbs) and olive oil to taste if necessary. Then add the cooked penne pasta.
- Stir the salad well. Divide it over 2 bowls and serve.
Perfect ! Had to hop on over to pin to my board !