18 August 2009

Roast Pepper & Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad with Feta





































This is my entry for this month's No Croutons Required. The challenge is to make a soup or salad containing peppers. I decided my entry would be a pasta salad, as there was one I had my eye on.

I usually take my own lunch to work, but occasionally I have to pop out and get something and I really enjoy Marks and Spencers sandwiches and pasta salads. Believe me, this is lunchtime haute cuisine in Dundee, especially if you only have half an hour to purchase and eat said lunch!

There is one pasta salad in particular that I enjoy, a pasta salad with a small spiral pasta, sunblush tomatoes and feta chesse. So I did what any self-respecting blogger would do. I had a look at the list of ingredients and set off home to recreate it myself and boy it is good. It has a real strength of flavour with the roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes, top this off with feta and you are in pasta heaven. It is a great standby recipe as it uses jarred roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes.















































































Roast Pepper & Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad with Feta

Dressing

½ clove garlic
1 roasted pepper plus 1 tbsp oil from jar
4 sundried tomatoes plus 1 tbsp oil from jar
1 ½ tbsp tomato puree
1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
a few basil leaves
salt and pepper

Topping

sundried tomatoes
basil
feta

Whizz up the dressing ingredients and taste for seasoning, then set aside.

Cook your desired pasta until al dente, then cool under cold water, to stop the cooking process.

Toss the cold pasta in the dressing and then fold in some chopped sundried tomatoes, fresh basil and crumble in some feta.

Enjoy!

If you would like to submit a salad or soup to this month's challenge you have until close of day on the 20th August. Just post your soup or salad containing peppers and email me at nocroutonsrequired@googlemail.com, with a photo of your dish, a link to your post and remember to give me your name and location.
Posted by Jacqueline Meldrum at Tuesday, August 18, 2009
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27 comments:

  1. I see Sun dried tomato and I'm here promptly :D

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  2. this salad looks great - I am not keen on the packaged salads and sandwiches - hated them when I lived in the UK but I do love a hearty dressing for a pasta salad - bookmarked!

    I hope to get an entry in for NCR but it depends on how dinner turns out tonight :-)

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  3. I love this pesto! It seems to be packed with flavors!

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  4. My very favorite combo here... i find roasted peppers & sun dried tomatoes irresistible. that empty plate shows it all:-)

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  5. I can never seem to make a good pasta salad.
    It looks so yummy, i love the empty plate photo :P
    Sundried tomato is nice im most savory dishes I think.

    Rose

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  6. I feel the same way A& :)

    Hi Johanna, Hope dinner goes well :)

    It is just so delicious Karine and I wouldn't have thought of adding the red wine vinegar before.

    Hi Soma, it didn't last long :)

    Hi Rose, I always have some sundried tomatoes in my cupboard, just in case :)

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  8. Love the progression of photos! Looks really yummy!

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  9. I thought so too Beth, much better than a sandwich.

    Thanks Kirsten :)

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  10. My bowl would be empty too after getting my hands (or mouth, rather) on this!

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  12. Oh yum this looks amazing Jacqueline!! I love combining feta and sun dried tomato, and the addition of red pepper sounds yummy. I love the pasta shape too. I thought I had until the end of August to put up my pepper salad so thanks for the reminder! I'll post it tonight.

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  13. I love the look and sound of this! I've got a little of jar of some nice sun dried tomatoes lurking in the cupboard, this seems to fit the lunch bill perfectly! :)

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  14. I love pasta made from pantry items! I'll have to keep this one marked for those days!

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  15. We are on the same wavelength Jackie. Pasta salad is one of my favourites and I am always looking for new ideas....plus you had me at the mere mention of feta!!

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  16. I just have to quite visiting blogs like this because they are making me hungry. You are convincing me that I need to get a dehydrator for all the tomatoes that we have. I also have to try roasting peppers. Great blog you have here.

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  17. Delicious summer salad, Jacqueline. I'll have my NCR recipe to you late today.

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  18. Gorgeous! Some of my very favorites in here.

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  19. Oh heavens, that sauce looks excellent. I even brought my bag of dried tomatoes along in the cooler on our recent move. Now I know just what to make with them.

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  20. I sometimes buy that salad in M&S! It never occurred to me to make it. Sundried tomatoes and feta is such a gorgeous combination

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  21. can't stand sundried tomatoes, other than that is sounds delicious!

    m&s food "lunchtime haute cuisine", gosh;)

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  22. There are some of my very favorite flavors in there - it looks just incredible!

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  23. Oooh I'm going to have to make this! I'm overflowing with sundried tomatoes that I've been making from the ridiculous amount of tomatoes my CSA has been giving me. This will be perfect for work next week. Thanks!! Dana

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  24. All I can think to say when I look at this is "FEED ME!!!"

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  25. Glad to hear it Amy :)

    Thanks Snooky Doodle :)

    Got your entry Ashley and Johanna's entry was thanks to you too! They were both great :)

    Go make some Anne :)

    It is so, so good Pam, you must try it!

    I am like that too Val, if anyone mentions feta or halloumi, I am there in a flash!

    Thanks Greg and it is lovely to meet you :D

    Thanks Susan I got it. Your chilli pepper incident was amusing, although probably not so amusing at the time.

    Hi Lisa Birds of a feather, us :)

    Hi Andrea, I hope the move went well. I will have to come over and catch up. I have been very absent from blogland this week!

    It is gorgeous, isn't it CC and I will still by it as a standby on those days when I eat my lunch as breakfast at breaktime and then need something to eat later.

    It is here, really Pia, we have very little choice in walking distance of my work. I think you have a better setup where you are.

    Thanks Dana :)

    Hey other Dana, I do hope you enjoy it!

    Thank you Taste My Plate :)

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  26. That looks so simple and oh so good! I am exactly like you- I love tasting things in restaurants and recreating them at home :D

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  27. I adore feta & sun dried tomatoes & to add the peppers, what more do you want?

    Just simply lovely!

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I always love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I've been bombarded with spam recently, so I've had to turn on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Jac x

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