Greek Pasta Salad

main dishes

18 Sep

GLUTEN FREE · NUT FREE · PALEO option

This simple dish is a picnic hero! Indeed, I first made it precisely for a picnic up in the mountains with friends. It was the day before and I was tired so I wanted to throw together something quick and easy for the next day’s excursion. My friends were happy to either make or grab a sandwich from somewhere to resolve the matter of lunch, but when you avoid gluten (as I do), it takes just a little more planning and prep. Two of my fellow picnickers were visiting from the UK, and were indulging on all the classic local foods and flavours, so I figured there was no going wrong with a classic Greek salad/pasta salad hybrid.

The result was this simple, tasty and refreshing dish. Plenty of different textures to keep your palate amused, and the tangy dressing elevates the various Mediterranean flavours. In fact, this has become a staple in my meal rotation, especially when I haven’t meal-prepped (yes, it happens!) and suddenly find myself ravenous. It’s also a dish rich in antioxidants, thanks mainly to the olives, EVOO and oregano. Antioxidants are important as they help the body eliminate free radicals (toxic substances resulting from poor diet and environmental stresses). A buildup of free radicals can in turn trigger oxidative stress, which can lead to cell damage and has been linked to various diseases, autoimmune issues in particular.

So give it a try - no picnic necessary, mountain view optional!

THE INGREDIENTS

Gluten-free pasta

My favourite gluten-free pasta is always one made from brown rice. However, it must sadly be noted that not all rice pasta is created equal, and you really don’t want to end up with either the kind that completely falls apart, or with the slimy gunge-y kind that sticks both together and to your teeth! My preferred brands for brown rice pasta are Dove’s Farm and Suma, and I find their fusilli holds together exceptionally well, particularly since I tend to like my pasta a little bit past the recommended al dente point - I can practically feel any Italians reading this shaking their head in disapproval, which is fair enough, but it comes from years of cooking food to make it as easy to digest as possible, and that means overcooking your pasta a little, so that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!

Of course you don’t have to go with rice pasta, just choose your favourite gluten-free option. To make this recipe Paleo, you will need to go for a grain- and legume-free pasta, such as one made from cassava or almond flour, for example.

Cucumbers

With their very high water content, cucumbers are one of the most hydrating veggies out there. In fact, it has been said that a cucumber can produce similar hydration levels to twice the volume of water. Indeed, there is also evidence that ‘eating your water’, by consuming water-containing fruits and vegetables, is actually more effective at hydrating the body than drinking plain water.

In addition to their high water content, cucumbers are also rich in nutrients and contain anti-inflammatory compounds, plus they add a great little ‘crunch’ to this pasta salad.

Tomatoes

Technically a fruit and not a vegetable, tomatoes are rich in fibre, potassium, folate and vitamins C and K. They are also a great source of lycopene, a well-known antioxidant.

Spring onions

Spring onions, green onions, scallions - many names for this fresh-tasting ingredient, which also just happens to need a lot less chopping effort than a regular onion: bonus!

Feta

It really wouldn’t be a Greek salad without the creamy saltiness that feta cheese brings. Being Greek, I feel the need to clarify to the world that feta - REAL feta - is made from sheep’s milk, or a combination of sheep and goat milk, not cow’s milk! It’s a completely different taste profile, and the trained palate (in other words: any Greek, or other frequent consumer of real feta) can immediately taste the difference.

Olives

Again, you can’t really have a proper Greek salad without some of these little beauties dotted throughout. Rich in healthy fats and antioxidants, and with anti-inflammatory benefits, Kalamata olives in particular are considered to be one of the healthiest foods out there, and are even a source of iron and Vitamin A. They also add a hit of saltiness to the dish.

Oregano

A staple Mediterranean flavour, oregano is part of the mint family and has even been used medicinally (usually in the form of concentrated oil) for centuries due to its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

I use dried oregano here, but you can use fresh if you prefer, you’ll just need about three times the amount.

For the dressing:

Olive oil (EVOO)

A Mediterranean Diet staple, cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the mother of all olive oils, and definitely what you should be opting for when eating for health. Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, it is well-established as a superfood and a key component to a healthy diet.

Olive oil also contains oleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties and may even have positive effects on certain genes that have been linked to cancer.

You really do want to go with EVOO, rather than a cheaper, more refined variety of olive oil, as it retains the olives’ antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Cold-pressed is important too, as it means the good stuff won’t have been destroyed by heat. Make sure to check product labels before you buy, to ensure what you’re getting really is pure extra virgin olive oil, as many that make the EVOO claim are actually diluted with other refined oils, so it’s always a good idea to check the ingredients.

Vinegar (apple cider or white wine)

Apple cider vinegar is always my first choice of vinegar, both because I just love the taste, but also, it is a health food in its own right, due to its alkalizing, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.

White wine vinegar is a very good alternative option here.

Lemon zest

Make sure to wash lemons before you zest them, otherwise you just end up ingesting anything and everything that has come into contact with the fruit! This is especially important if the lemons are not organic, unless you want your pasta salad with a peppering of pesticides (yes, the alliteration was deliberate, I couldn’t help myself).

Honey

A great natural sweetener, honey has anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Raw honey is even more nutritious as all the enzymes are still intact, so if you have the option, go with raw.

The addition of honey here just helps to take away some of the natural sharpness of the dressing, and really rounds off the flavour nicely.

Oregano

I’ve already sung oregano’s praises here (scroll up)!

Garlic (optional)

Not everyone likes garlic in a salad, which is fair enough, but if you do, then crush or mince a clove into the dressing, and treat yourself to an immune-boosting hit.

Salt and pepper

TIPS

If you won’t be eating this right away, store the salad and the dressing separately in the fridge. If you add the dressing too far in advance, things can get a bit soggy.
Shake/whisk the dressing again before drizzling if it’s been pre-prepared.
Remove from the fridge around 15-20 minutes before serving, to allow the pasta to soften again when back at room temperature.