Jalapeno Feta Pasta Salad
This jalapeno feta pasta salad is filled with bright fresh flavors balanced with deep salty goodness. There are tons of great textures going on from the crunchy veggies to the chewy pasta. The magic of fresh oregano, whether it is from your garden or the store, gives a beautiful summery floral note.
The inspiration for this recipe
I was craving a pasta salad with spicy, briny, and floral notes. I decided on jalapeno and feta as the main ingredients, and added lots of fresh oregano for the floral aspect. These ingredients mixed with fresh crunchy veggies and a little cured meat formed a perfect balance of flavors and textures! Make sure you get a really good quality pasta that will retain a nice chewy bite.
Make the sauce first
I wanted this to be like a creamy Italian dressing. Mayo, oil, balsamic, mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, and chili flakes. The mayo mixed with italian dressing helps it sort of balance between a few different types of pasta salad.
Mix the pasta with the sauce
Everything in the sauce is fine to hold up to a little heat, so I treated this pasta salad like I would treat a hot pasta dish by adding the pasta to the sauce when it is still vary hot. This will help the sauce really absorb into the pasta. Then let it fully cool before you mix in the other ingredients.
Mix in the cold ingredients
You do not want any heat to touch the jalapenos, cured meat, herbs, or fresh veggies. Let everything cool fully and then add these ingredients so they stay bright, fresh, and crunchy in the salad.
Serve the jalapeno feta pasta salad
After it is all mixed together, serve and top with more of the ingredients as a garnish! I added extra cucumber, radish, feta, and fresh oregano.
This jalapeno feta pasta salad was so good! I know I will keep it in my back pocket for the next backyard get together I am attending.
Twists on this jalapeno feta pasta salad
You could make this without the meat and it would be almost just as good! Just be careful if you are serving it to a vegetarian or vegan because you will also have to swap out the worcestershire and maybe the honey. You could use soy sauce or a vegan worcestershire, and use agave or maple syrup for honey.
I am obsessed with pasta salad an make it all the time. Check out some of my favorites like this watermelon feta, pepperoni kimchi, or this tasty pickle bacon pasta salad!
Jalapeno Feta Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- pinch of salt
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pasta
- 6 jalapenos seeds removed, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
- 4 ounces feta crumbled
- 4 ounces capicola chopped and ripped apart
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1/2 cup diced radish
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Cook the pasta in a pot of heavily salted water until just barely cooked and still firm. Strain.
- Add the pasta right to the mayo sauce and stir to combine. Cover and store in the fridge until fully cooled.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. I like to lightly salt the cucumbers and radish as I add them.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added a splash of worcestershire, more oil and mayo, and a little chili flake. It depends how you like it!