Like most food bloggers and people who enjoy cooking, I get dozens of emails each week that are just packed full of new recipes to try. One of my favorites is the email I get from myrecipes.com. There’s always something delicious and appropriate for the season in that email.
A couple of weeks ago, the MyRecipes email really caught my attention with this recipe. It’s a great little pasta salad with a twist – green grapes. I’m quite sure I’ve never seen grapes in a pasta salad, especially one with a vinaigrette dressing, so I was really interested in trying it. And I’m here to tell you that it is quite delicious. The contrast of the sweet grapes with the vinaigrette and the salty tangy-ness of the feta really makes for a different and very enjoyable pasta salad.
It couldn’t be much simpler than this. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain it and toss it in a big bowl with the grape tomatoes, green grapes, and basil. Make the vinaigrette in a small bowl, pour it over the pasta mixture and toss everything together. Add a little feta, gently toss that together and that’s it!
Bow tie pasta salad with tomatoes and grapes tossed in a vinaigrette dressing.
Ingredients
- 6 oz. bow tie pasta
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup green grapes, halved
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tblsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 tsp. capers
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Cook bow tie pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, grapes, basil, and well-drained pasta.
- To a small bowl, add the vinegar, shallot, capers, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the oil while whisking constantly. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and stir to coat well. Add the cheese and toss gently to combine.
Notes
Original recipe from myrecipes.com
Other pasta salad recipes you might enjoy from around the internet:
- Pasta with Fresh Spinach, Tomatoes, and Roasted Garlic from Creative Culinary
- Greek Pasta Salad from My Baking Addiction
- Not Your Mama’s Macaroni Salad from Recipe Girl
- Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad (with Yougrt and Herbs) from The Amateur Gourmet
- Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts, and Pecorino Romano from The Cooking Photographer
What I was cooking…
- One year ago: Cilantro Lime Shrimp
- Two years ago: 8 Ball Zucchini
- Three years ago: Red Velvet Cake
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I love pasta salad Lana! This one looks incredible. I’ll have to try the mix of grapes with the feta cheese. Mmm…..
The grapes are a really great counterpoint to the feta, Denise. I think you’d love this one!
This is a fantastic summer salad. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it.
I’ve put grapes into a curry chicken salad but stopped there and haven’t tried it in a salad with tomatoes and lettuce. Why not? This looks perfectly light and tasty; will have to try!
I was skeptical but intrigued about the tomatoes and grapes together, Barb, but found it to be a really delightful combination. I’ll definitely use it again.
well, we love the tartness of sweet tomatoes with green ones so this does make sense… and the problem with all those wonderful emails from such sites is finding time to read them.. so glad you did this one…
Love this combination!! I love discovering new flavor combinations like this Lana – at first it doesn’t seem like they would go together, but when you think about it, it totally makes sense!
This is great. It’s a very special pasta salad. I think it would be really nice if serve chill. :)