Ingredients:

  • 1 lb short pasta (Fusilli or Rotini)
  • 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup English cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in the coarse sea salt and add the pasta, stirring immediately to prevent sticking. Note: The salt doesn't just flavor the pasta; it raises the boiling point slightly.
  2. Cook the pasta until it is 2 minutes before the package's al dente suggestion. Taste a noodle; it should have a tiny, firm white dot in the center.
  3. Drain the pasta into a colander and immediately rinse with cold water for 30 seconds. Listen for the sizzle of the heat leaving the pot as you shock the noodles.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until the mixture looks opaque and velvety.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red onion, and chopped parsley.
  6. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the pasta mixture and toss gently to coat. Ensure every spiral is glistening.
  7. Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese. Note: Be gentle here so the feta stays in chunks rather than coating everything in white streaks.