Name: Kale Feta Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup dried cavatappi pasta; 2 cups roughly chopped curly kale leaves; 1/3 cup julienne cut sundried tomatoes; 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese; 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese; 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

This Kale Feta Pasta Salad recipe is a reliable, satisfying dish perfect for lunches and filled with cheeses, sundried tomatoes and more.

Oh, hello. I am so excited to share this recipe with you because it’s based on a family favorite that we’ve been buying at the grocery store for years. The homemade version is so much better.

This isn’t your average pasta salad. Free of vinegar and filled with fresh flavors, Kale Feta Pasta Salad is an amazing, delightful, satisfying dish that my family cannot get enough of.

My daughter, Paige, convinced me to make this at home, working from a favorite grocery store pasta salad. The salad, which we’ve been buying and loving for years, had changed recently. It was less fresh and the flavor was slightly different. So I agreed.

A jar of sundried tomatoes, a container of dried basil, a measuring cup with dried pasta, a container of shredded parmesan, a measuring cup of chopped kale, a block of feta, a clove of garlic and a bottle of olive oil is shown on a countertop.

We bought a container, ate it, and evaluated the flavors. I read the label. I contemplated proportions and how to get just the right flavors. As I was working on the recipe, I discovered that old staples for our kitchen — like garlic-flavored oil — isn’t sold in our local grocery store anymore. That meant finding a way to get the right flavor using familiar, easy-to-access ingredients.

Once I had a basic recipe to try, I made it and made it again, working to adjust the flavors until it was just right.

Kale Feta Pasta Salad is shown in a white bowl on a red and white checked napkin with a fork nearby.

This version, homemade with love, is just right. It’s better than the store-bought version. It’s fresh and flavorful. It’s savory and sweet, filled with cheese and bright garlic. Delightful.

And now you can make it too!

Kale Feta Pasta Salad is shown in a metal mixing bowl.

And making it couldn’t be easier. You cook the pasta, toss it with kale, sundried tomatoes and cheeses and then add a garlicky basil oil (made with familiar pantry ingredients!). Easy peasy.

That’s it. It’s so easy that even with resting time (resting time always makes pasta salads taste better!), it can be ready to eat in an hour.

What are you waiting for?

Kale Feta Pasta Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This Kale Feta Pasta Salad recipe is a reliable, satisfying dish perfect for lunches and filled with cheeses, sundried tomatoes and more.

Ingredients

1 cup dried cavatappi pasta
2 cups roughly chopped curly kale leaves
1/3 cup julienne cut sundried tomatoes
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain again.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together the pasta, kale, sundried tomatoes, parmesan and feta.
In a small skillet heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (from the 1/3 cup). Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Transfer with the oil to a small mixing bowl. Add the remaining oil along with the dried basil, kosher salt and pepper. Stir together.
Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the pasta mixture. Toss well to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to five days.