AUGUST 2020 49Pasta Salad with Feta
and Herbs
TOTAL 25 MIN; SERVES 8
This pasta salad from Mason Hereford’s
Turkey and the Wolf gets a touch of tangy
heat from hot sauce and loads of crunch
from nutty sunflower seeds. This colorful,
eclectic pasta rounds out any picnic or
cookout spread.
1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about
11 / 4 cups)
1 / 2 cup buttermilk
1 / 4 cup mayonnaise (such as Duke’s)
2 Tbsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce
(such as Crystal)
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest plus^1 / 4 cup
fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
11 / 2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. grated garlic
1 / 2 tsp. black pepper
4 cups torn mixed tender fresh herbs
(such as basil, mint, dill, and chives)
11 / 2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 / 2 red onion, cut in half lengthwise
and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
3 /^4 cup salted roasted sunflower seed
kernels
- Cook pasta according to package direc-
tions. Drain and rinse pasta under cold
running water; drain well. - While pasta cooks, stir together feta,
buttermilk, mayonnaise, hot sauce, lemon
zest and juice, salt, garlic, and black pep-
per in a medium bowl. - Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl.
Add buttermilk dressing, torn herbs, cel-
ery, tomatoes, red onion, and sunflower
seeds, and toss well. —MASON HEREFORD,
TURKEY AND THE WOLF, NEW ORLEANS
MAKE AHEAD Pasta salad can be made 1
day ahead and stored in an airtight
container in refrigerator. Toss with herbs
just before serving.
WINE Full-bodied California Chardonnay:
2018 Newton Skyside
NOTE Stir 1 tablespoon plain whole-milk
Greek yogurt into 7 tablespoons milk as a
substitute for buttermilk in this recipe.