Summer Garden Pasta Salad with Olives and Feta

Serves 12-14

A fresh pasta salad with vegetables and a vinaigrette dressing is a nice alternative to a mayonnaise-based macaroni salad—as long as it can hold up. We like the size of farfalle (bow-tie) pasta here, however, you can substitute any small pasta, such as rotini or penne. If using a different pasta shape, note that the yield may change significantly. Cooking the pasta until it is completely tender is crucial here—pasta becomes tough as it sits in the salad overnight.

Dressing: 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons, 1 medium shallot , minced, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 glove of garlic minced, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad: Salt, 1 pound farfalle, 2 medium carrots , peeled and grated over the large holes of a box grater, 1 large yellow bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips, 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 2 cups), 1 cup pitted kalamata olives (about 6 ounces), chopped coarse, 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces), quartered

1. For the dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. For the salad: Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Stir in 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and cook until completely tender. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander. Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl.
3. Stir the reserved pasta water into the dressing. Pour half of the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the carrots, bell pepper, feta, olives, and parsley. Scatter the tomatoes on top of the pasta (do not mix in).4. To

Store: Cover the pasta salad tightly with plastic wrap and poke several vent holes. Transfer the remaining dressing to an airtight container. Refrigerate the pasta salad and reserved dressing separately for up to 2 days.5. To Serve: Microwave the pasta salad on high power to remove the chill, 1 to 2 minutes. Shake the reserved dressing to recombine, then pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add the remaining dressing as needed to keep the salad moist.