Tomato Feta Pasta Salad with Bacon
This Tomato Feta Pasta Salad with Bacon is a creamy, savory dish packed with roasted cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon, and feta. Perfect for summer meals!
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound pasta penne or fusilli work great
- 6 slices smoked bacon
- ¼ pound feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup olives green or black, without pit
- ¼ oz. fresh basil leaves only
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 ℉.
- Put the cherry tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking tray.2½ cups cherry tomatoes, 6 cloves garlic
- Drizzle with olive oil and mix, so everything is coated.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Roast them in the oven for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and a bit brown.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a big pot with salted water. Follow the package instructions until the pasta is firm and slightly chewy. Drain it and rinse under cold water so it stops cooking.1 pound pasta
- Fry the bacon slices in a pan until they are golden and crispy.6 slices smoked bacon
- Put them on a paper towel to drain and chop them into small bits.
- Once the garlic is cool, squeeze it out of the skin and mash it with a fork.
- In a big bowl, mix the pasta, roasted tomatoes, mashed garlic, bacon, crumbled feta, and olives. Tear the basil leaves with your hands and add them in.¼ pound feta cheese, ½ cup olives, ¼ oz. fresh basil
- Season with salt and pepper.salt, ground black pepper
- Gently stir until everything is nicely mixed.
- You can eat this salad warm or at room temperature.
NOTES
1. Can I skip the bacon? Of course. You can make it vegetarian by replacing it with roasted almonds or roasted paprika slices.
2. What’s the best pasta for this salad? Short pasta like fusilli or penne works best — it holds the dressing and ingredients well.
3. Storage
- Refrigerator: Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Fresh basil is best added just before serving.
- Freezing is not recommended, as the feta and tomatoes change texture after thawing.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 663mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Iron: 2mg
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