Orrechiette or ‘Little Ears’ is a great pasta choice for this fresh summer meal. Their little dips fill up with the veggies and their juices, making this Greek Pasta Salad a wonderfully tasty dish. It’s nutritious too.

20 min prep

4 servings

12 ingredients

Ingredients

6 ounces of whole wheat orechiette or other small pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

½ large English cucumber, quartered lengthwise then cut into ¼-inch slices

1½ cups quartered grape or cherry tomatoes

½ red onion, halved then thinly sliced

2 teaspoons lemon zest

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup kalamata olives

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups loosely packed chopped spinach

¼ cup feta cheese

¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

Directions

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente or according to package instructions. Drain well. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, toss together the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, olives and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the cooled pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Taste.

Top with spinach, crumbled feta cheese and mint. Toss just before serving at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 380; fat: 21 g; saturated fat: 4 g; polyunsaturated fat: 2 g; monounsaturated fat: 14 g; carbohydrates: 41 g; sugar: 5 g; fiber:4 g; protein: 9 g; sodium: 550 mg.

Chef Tips

To be sure your pasta doesn’t overcook as it cools, cook it for 1 minute less than the package time. If you can’t find orrechiette, use fusilli. They will trap the juices in their spirals.

Registered Dietitian Approved

All our recipes are created by chefs and reviewed by our oncology-trained staff Registered Dietitian, Kate Ueland, MS, RD, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and meets the standards set by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

This recipe was originally published on Cook for Your Life. It is used by permission. 

Fred Hutch Cook For Your Life logo TM