Orecchiette Salad with Goat Cheese, Olives, and Basil

Name: Orecchiette Salad with Goat Cheese, Olives, and Basil
Ingredients: ⅓ cup dry white wine; ¾ cup slivered Niçoise or Kalamata olives; ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped; 8 ounces mild California goat feta cheese, crumbled; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons thinly slivered garlic; ¾ cup slivered Niçoise or Kalamata olives; ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper; Lightly toasted pine nuts and fresh basil sprigs for garnishing; Drops of fresh lemon juice; Lightly toasted pine nuts and fresh basil sprigs for garnishing; Kosher or sea salt and lots of freshly ground pepper; ½ cup lightly toasted pine nuts; Kosher or sea salt and lots of freshly ground pepper; Kosher or sea salt and lots of freshly ground pepper; 8 ounces orecchiette or other small dried shaped pasta; 8 ounces orecchiette or other small dried shaped pasta; ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

From the Earth to the Table

By John Ash

Published 1995

About

One of the things I like most about pasta salads is that you can create a great-tasting dish in about 20 minutes with a few key complementary ingredients. This salad is perfect for a light luncheon but is also wonderful as part of a larger buffet.

Ingredients

8 ounces orecchiette or other small dried shaped pasta
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Lunch
Vegetarian

Method

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain the pasta and immediately run cold water over it to stop the cooking. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a medium sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil over low heat and sauté the garlic until soft but not brown. Add the pepper flakes, b