Pasta Salad With Feta and Herbs

When I was twenty-two and had my own kitchen for the first time, I knew absolutely nothing about cooking. Nothing.

So…I bought my first cookbook–a used copy of the 1963 edition of The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook. The book’s provenance is interesting. The name Sugar Bardy is written on the first page but that name is scrawled over another now-illegible name. Apparently, I’m the third owner of the book. (I do worry about Sugar, though. Why would she give up such a great cookbook? Is there a dispiriting disaster-of-a-recipe lurking somewhere in the book? If you are reading this, Sugar, call me.)

I still have that first cookbook. It is tattered and stained now but is the Mother Book in my cookbook library. It anchors what has become a 600+ (and growing!) cookbook collection. I have two new cookbooks on order–New World Sourdough (I will conquer my fear of flatbreads!) and Mandy’s Gourmet Salads (I love big entree salads.).

Damn. Maybe I need an intervention.

As a young cook, one of the first things I made out of the Good Housekeeping book was “Best-Ever Macaroni Salad” (page 454). The recipe was a variation on the Good Housekeeping “Old-Fashioned Potato Salad” recipe on the same page. (My cooking goals were modest in the beginning, to say the least.) I still make the macaroni salad but I omit the cheddar, leave the celery in (I love celery!), and add black olives and pimento.

Then, my cooking life changed forever. I saw a young Wolfgang Puck cook.

I was in love. He was, believe it or not, appearing at a cheesy Home and Garden convention at the Anaheim Convention Center. He made Ile Flottante. Ile Flottante is a French dessert that features islands of meringue floating in a sea of creme anglaise. Who knew such things were even possible?

My cooking journey was launched!

While Wolf will always have a special place in my heart, my list of cooking idols has grown over the years. There was Jacques, Julia, Alice and Julie Sahni. Today, there is Yotam and Dorie and the two Davids (Tanis and Lebovitz). Oh, and Hetty McKinnon for her inspired salad books.

Today’s recipe is for a decidedly-uptown macaroni salad for cooks who want to go beyond the traditional Good Housekeeping-esque recipes.

I can’t help but think that both salads would look pretty cool on a buffet once we can party again. Maybe I’ll invite Sugar.

Pasta Salad With Feta and Herbs

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
• 5 oz. feta cheese (crumbled)
• 3/4 C. buttermilk
• 1/2 C. mayonnaise
• 1 T. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. grated garlic
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 2 C. mixed (and chopped/torn) fresh herbs (basil, mint, dill and chives)
• 1 1/2 C. thinly-sliced celery
• 1 C. cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)
• 1/2 red onion (thinly-sliced)
• Salted roasted sunflower seeds for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook pasta until it is al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry. Set aside.
2. Combine feta, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, salt, garlic and black pepper. Mix to combine. The feta gives this dressing texture. If you want a smoother dressing, blend the mixture. You can add more mayonnaise at this point if you want a thicker dressing. Set aside.
3. Combine cooked pasta in a serving bowl with buttermilk dressing, fresh herbs (save some out for the garnish), celery, tomatoes, and red onion and toss well. I you use fresh dill in this recipe (and I think you should), be sure to chop it finely and remove any large stems.
4. Chill the salad overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Garnish with sunflower seeds and sprigs of fresh herbs before serving.

Nutrition

Calories

3157 cal

Fat

110 g

Carbs

433 g

Protein

108 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

7.8.1.2

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This recipe is adapted from a Mason Hereford recipe that appeared in the August 2020 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.