Lemon Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

Lately, I've been trying to focus more on eating healthier due in part to the cold hard truth..I am getting older. And after 40, while the mind might say "Of course you can still eat like you were in your 20's" your body is not going along with the sentiment at all. That's why I liked this recipe after finding it in one of my rarely used cookbooks (thanks to easy access to takeout and a genetic predisposition to laziness). Apart from having to slow down long enough to cook the pasta and toss the dressing, this was simple enough for me to pull off after a long day at work. Due to a gluten sensitivity, I used gluten free rice pasta but the flavor of the dressing helped make that difficult to taste. I also cut back slightly on the bell peppers as I'm not a huge fan of them.  Overall, a solid A-.


Lemon Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
Adapted ever so slightly from "Bon Appetit - Fast, Easy, Fresh"

7 oz tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel

12 oz penne
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1  cup multi colored bell peppers
1 1/2 cups feta cheese crumbled
1 cup chopped green onions

Combine first five ingredients in bowl until blended. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Cook penne in boiling water until tender. Drain pasta and transfer to large bowl. Add tomatoes, bell peppers, feta cheese and green onions. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.