Feta & Cranberry Rigatoni Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
Salty feta and sweet dried cranberries are a combination I come back to again and again, and here they meet rigatoni, finely chopped red onion and fresh parsley in a bright lemon vinaigrette. There is no mayonnaise, so it stays light and easy to bring along to a picnic.
A few tips
- Cook the rigatoni al dente, then rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking. Soft pasta turns mushy once it sits in dressing.
- Drain it really well, because water clinging to the pasta dilutes the vinaigrette.
- Chop the red onion finely so nobody gets a sharp mouthful.
- Crumble the feta into small pieces so it spreads through the salad.
The vinaigrette is olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, whisked until combined. The honey softens the lemon, and the mustard helps the oil and juice stay blended. Pour it over and toss gently.
Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving. It is good right away, but about 30 minutes in the fridge lets the flavors meld. The wide tubes of rigatoni catch bits of feta and cranberry inside, which is why I like that shape best here.
I sorted all of these by method over on my apple and cranberry index.
PrintFeta & Cranberry Rigatoni Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Rigatoni tossed with crumbled feta, dried cranberries, red onion and parsley in a lemon, honey and Dijon vinaigrette. A light pasta salad with no mayonnaise.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove.
- Add the rigatoni pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until al dente, typically around 10 to 12 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Allow the pasta to drain completely and set it aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Crumble the feta cheese into small pieces using your fingers or a fork and set it aside.
- Measure out the dried cranberries and add them to the bowl with the pasta.
- Finely chop the red onion and add it to the bowl with the pasta, cranberries, and feta cheese.
- Chop the fresh parsley and sprinkle it over the pasta mixture.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is fully combined.
- Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the pasta and toss everything together gently until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Taste the salad and adjust seasoning if needed, adding more salt or pepper if desired.
- Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate it for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Enjoy your feta and cranberry rigatoni salad with lemon vinaigrette!
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