Mediterranean pasta salad with antipasti

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g pasta (e.g. farfalle, spirals)
• 2 zucchinis
• 2 bell peppers, yellow or red
• ½ jar green olives marinated in chili oil
• 8 tomatoes, dried, pickled in oil
• 1 package of Italian herbs (frozen)
• 2 tomatoes
• Garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 package of feta cheese
• 1 handful of sunflower seeds, roasted
• Balsamic vinegar
• Water (salt water)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Cook pasta al dente in salted water according to the package instructions, drain, and add to a large bowl with a little oil (if you like it spicy, use chili oil). Halve the zucchini lengthwise and slice. Chop the bell peppers as well. Briefly sauté the vegetables in olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and garlic if desired. Deglaze with a little balsamic vinegar, let it reduce slightly, and pour over the pasta. You may need to sauté the vegetables in several batches! Chop the olives and sun-dried tomatoes, add them, and mix. When the “salad” has cooled slightly, add the frozen herbs and season to taste. Just before serving, chop the fresh tomatoes (I always remove the seeds first) and toss them into the salad along with the crumbled feta cheese and sunflower seeds (otherwise, the tomatoes tend to release too much water for my taste). Although this salad requires a bit more work than a traditional pasta salad, it’s a welcome change at any party. Since it doesn’t use mayo, you can safely bring it to a summer barbecue! You can also prepare the antipasti tomato and olive mixture the day before, let it sit, and pour it over hot pasta the next day. If you like, you can also use eggplant or black olives.