Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This dish is inspired by the fresh and flavorful ingredients often found in Mediterranean cuisine. With a mix of crunchy vegetables, tangy feta cheese, and savory pasta, it's the perfect main dish for your picnic!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta, cooked (fusilli, rotini, or penne works well)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
• 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Rinse with cold water to cool down.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, red and green bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
4. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss well to coat.
5. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving to marinate and let the flavors meld together.
6. Before serving, garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

This salad is not only delicious, colorful and perfect for a picnic, but also very healthy and easy to make! Your boyfriend will be impressed, I'm sure. Do you have any other questions or would like any more ideas?