Greek Salmon Pasta Salad

I adore a good Greek salad any time in hot weather, but if a larger meal is needed, I add a bag of penne pasta and well-seasoned roasted or grilled salmon to the summer garden bounty. Next time you’re making salmon, cook extra for my salad and get a head start on this fun meal that's perfect for dinner, camping, or for taking to the cookout.

8 servings

Ingredients

Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette (see notes—make first and let rest while you make the salad)
1- pound penne pasta
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Good quality red wine vinegar
½ small red onion, cut into small dice
1 sweet bell pepper, yellow or orange, cut into small dice
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, cut into small dice
1 cup red cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup kalamata olives, sliced (check for pits)
Generous pinch crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano or ¾ teaspoon minced fresh oregan (or to taste)
Small handful of minced fresh parsley
2 (6-ounce)seasoned and cooked salmon fillets -- chopped into 1-inch pieces (check for bones)
2/3 cup chopped feta from a block in brine, not crumbled
¼ cup sliced pepperoncini for garnish, optional

Instructions

COOK THE PASTA: Bring 4 quarts of well-salted and peppered water to boil in an 8-quart pot. Add pasta and cook about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse. Tip into a large mixing bowl, drizzle with a tablespoon each of olive oil and red wine vinegar (or to taste) and sprinkle with a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Set aside.
ADD THE ONION, PEPPER, CUCUMBER, TOMATOES, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, OLIVES, SPICES, AND HERBS TO THE PASTA. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings.
GENTLY STIR IN THE COOKED SALMON AND FETA; DRIZZLE GENEROUSLY WITH LEMON-GARLIC VINAIGRETTE. Taste a few different things in the salad and adjust seasonings one last time, including perhaps an extra drizzle of vinaigrette or the red wine vinegar or a last squeeze of lemon. Garnish with pepperoncini, if using. (The salmon and feta crumble easily, so I've left them until last.)
SERVE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE if possible. While the dish is best served fresh, you can prepare the ingredients ahead and put them together the next day if need be. If you take it elsewhere totally prepared, bring along some extra vinaigrette as well as kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to freshen it up just before serving. Keeps 2-3 days well-covered in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.

Notes

LEMON-GARLIC VINAIGRETTE:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 smashed and peeled large, plump cloves of garlic

Whisk together the lemon and olive oil; add the garlic cloves. Let rest until the dressing is needed and remove/discard the garlic before using.

Vinaigrette is based on one by Julia Moskin in her famous NYT Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad. (Try it!) I adore my own lemon vinaigrette, but this one is just perfect for the salad.