I got the idea for this recipe from my mother in law. She is Lebanese and throws together pasta dishes in a whim using ingredients like fresh Lebanese olive oil(actually comes from the grove in Lebanon near where her grandfather grew up and some of the family still live) lemon and mint are also commonly used.
Since she is in Boston and I am in Carolina, I tried to emulate a recipe I thought she would be proud of and this is what I came up with.
Ingredients
for dressing
juice and zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons
1/4 cup EVOO
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced garlic
pinch each salt/pepper
for pasta
1 pound pasta (I used tri color spirals)
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 small red onion( chopped)
1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese
Cook pasta according to directions and drain.
to make dressing, combine juice/zest, garlic, salt/pepper and fresh mint in a bowl, slowly whisking in evoo to completely combine. Set aside
Toss pasta with tomatoes, onion & olives. Add dressing, tossing to coat and sprinkle with feta.
If you leave this in fridge for a while, you may want to wait til serving to coat with dressing, or freshen it up with some more.
And I made this Gluten Free using glutino pasta, but you can make it with whatever your heart desires.
So Mamma B, how'd I do;) This country girl tried hard. haha Love and miss you guys!!!
Linking up with Ashley, Jessica, Mandy
