This pasta salad recipe gets a new spin from dill, blanched radishes, and lots and lots of peas.
I love a good pasta salad. It usually starts out as a side dish, but I always end up eating the leftovers for lunch all week long. Pasta salads make a great meal, and they’re so easy! Just throw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that, some lemon juice or a glug vinegar, and you’re good to go.
The one ingredient that I always include in my pasta salad is peas. For this Dilled Pea Pasta Salad I took it to a new extreme – the ratio of peas to pasta is almost even. Truthfully, I was going to make a pea salad. The pasta was a last-minute addition because I was afraid that dinner wouldn’t be filling enough. The result was fantastic!
In addition to the peas, I added fresh radishes, dill, and parsley to this salad. Together, they keep things feeling bright and spring-like. I blanched the radishes by boiling them with the pasta for 1 minute to soften them up and bring out their natural sweetness. We loved the peppery bite that they added to the salad!
Crumbled feta adds briny flavor and creaminess that ties it all together.
I served this salad with my favorite roasted garlic and gruyere chicken sausage (Aidell’s – I’m obsessed!) but it would be just as good with your favorite cookout fare. Or, eat it straight from the container standing in front of the refrigerator. I did.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup medium shell shaped pasta
- 8 radishes sliced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces Canadian Bacon diced
- 2 cup frozen peas
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 ounces crumbled feta
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 2 Tablespoons freshly chopped dill
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the package. One minute before the pasta is cooked, add the radishes to the pot. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the Canadian bacon and cook 6-8 minutes, r until browned.
- Transfer the pasta and radishes to a large serving bowl. Stir in the peas and Canadian bacon. Mix in the lemon juice, olive oil, feta, parley, and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
