Best Whole Wheat Pasta Salad With Walnuts And Feta Cheese Recipes

Alex's Simple Whole Wheat Pasta Salad image

Provided by Alex Guarnaschelli

Time 55m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 large red bell pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
1 pound whole wheat fusilli pasta
1 cup Nut-Free Basil Pesto
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish, optional
3 cups fresh basil leaves
2 large cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon sugar
Generous pinch kosher salt, or more as needed
1/2 to 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Steps:

Place the pepper directly over a gas flame to char and cook, turning, about 3 minutes per side. Place the pepper in a bowl and let sit, uncovered, until cool enough to handle.
Place the pepper on a cutting board. Remove the seeds and core and open the pepper up so it lies flat on the cutting board, charred skin-side up. Use a kitchen towel to wipe the charred skin away. Sprinkle the pepper with the sugar, then chop the pepper into 1/4-inch dice. Place the diced peppers back in the bowl and drizzle with the vinegar. Set aside.
Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add a generous amount of salt. (It should taste like seawater.) Cook the pasta, stirring from time to time, until "al dente" (chewy but not hard or raw tasting), 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and toss with the pesto. If the pesto is too thick, add some pasta water to thin it out. Place half of the pasta in a serving bowl, then top with half of the Parmesan and half of the roasted peppers. Top with the remaining pasta, Parmesan and roasted peppers. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Pulse the basil with the garlic, sugar and salt in a food processor. Slowly stream in 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup water through the top of the machine, pulsing until almost completely smooth. Taste for seasoning. Add more oil if too chunky or dry. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan.

Whole-Wheat Pasta Salad with Walnuts and Feta Cheese image

Provided by Ellie Krieger

Categories side-dish

Time 22m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

1/2 pound whole-wheat fusilli or other spiral shaped pasta
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water, and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
In a dry saute pan toast the walnuts over a medium-high flame until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set the walnuts aside to cool then chop them coarsely.
In a large bowl, toss together the chilled pasta, walnuts, feta cheese, onion, and spinach. In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic and mustard. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.