Pasta salad is a natural venue for showcasing the bright, fresh flavors of spring: crisp cucumbers and peppery radishes, early-harvested garlic and the season's first mint. Toss with a little feta, and your next spring picnic is made.
Ingredients
- 6 oz dried campanelle, or similarly textured pasta shape
- 1.5 lb thick-skinned cucumber (such as corinto), half-peeled (leaving alternating strips of the skin), cubed into ¼ inch pieces
- ½ lb spring radishes, trimmed, cut in half or quarters (depending on the size) and sliced into thin pieces
- ¼ cup fresh spearmint leaves, plus more for garnish, thinly chopped,
- 3-4 stalks spring garlic, trimmed and sliced (garlic scapes or scallions also work well)
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 4 oz feta, crumbled
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Prepare the pasta: bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Toss in the pasta and cook for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Once cooked, drain the pasta. Toss with a glug of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking. Set aside to let cool.
- Combine the ¼ cup of olive oil and red wine vinegar and mix. Add the chopped mint and spring garlic, then mix with a spoon. Set aside to allow the garlic and mint to begin to infuse the dressing.
- In a large bowl, add the chickpeas, radishes, cucumbers. Once the pasta has cooled, at it to the bowl as well. Add about the dressing and toss by hand to coat evenly and gently.
- Add the salt and crumbled feta to the bowl and toss gently once more. Garnish with a little remaining chopped mint before serving.
