Mediterranean Pasta Salad for London Marathon Runners

Cupcake will not eat pasta. Biscuit Boy and I are not overly into out carbs either, but we like the odd spaghetti carbonara, or spaghetti bolognese and oh, lasagne, wow ! I just love that. Now that Cupcake is nearly ten she is eating with us when BB comes home, rather then early evening. So, that means dinner is on the table for 7.30 sharp.

So, why this recipe ? Well, over on Foodbuzz, I was just reading a recipe about another type of pasta salad with meat and what, looked like mozarella, and is was thinking how mine is nothing like that, and then I started thinking how I could really eat that pasta salad this week, as it really tastes of summer, and I have all the ingredients in stock too. And then I remembered, CC doesn't eat pasta.

So, here's the recipe, but it's sans photo. Next time I get to make it I will add a photo.  I hope if you read this you will get the opportunity to make it, and enjoy it on my behalf.

Serves 2

2 decent portion of fusilli pasta
3 tomatoes, chopped (retain the juice)
A good handful of black olives (pitted and chopped - not too finely)
Basil
Half a block of feta cheese (I usually use low fat feta)
A little drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Method

This is SO easy..

1. Make you pasta according to the packet instructions, and then allow to drain.

2. Tip the still warm pasta back into the sauce pan and add the contents of your chopping board to it - the feta, tomatoes and their juice, and black olives. Toss all of this together and season to taste - remembering that black olives and feta are already quite salty.

3. Tear is a handful of basil leaves and stir into the pasta.

4. By now the feta should be slightly melted, and the tomatoey aroma with the olives just delicicious, oh yes ! I can practically taste it.

5. Heap into pasta bowls and drizzle with a little olive oil and whole basil leaves.

6. Munch

Sometimes, if I don't have basil I make this with coriander.Coriander is a lovely aromatic herb, and nice in this dish, but not as good as basil. You can serve this with a green salad if needed, or if you are a runner and carb loading for a race, this would be perfect paired with garlic bread.

This recipe is also vegetarian, to make it vegan substitute the cheese with your vegan version, and make sure to use non-egg pasta. :o)

Go on make it !  You know you want to.

And whilst I remember to mention it, the best of luck to all those running the London Marathon this Sunday - a week today. A week of tapered training and carb loading.  I'll be watching you all when I get back from my own run !


Today's run: Long: Approx 2.5 hours - 12 miles odd. Felt good !