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Buttermilk Pasta Salad
Yield: 12 people
Buttermilk Pasta Salad - the BEST pasta salad ever!! Great for a crowd! Pasta, tomatoes, chives, sweet peppers, basil, cucumbers, onion, sunflower seeds, and feta tossed in a delicious homemade buttermilk dressing made with mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic, chili flakes, and pepper. Add some canned tuna or cooked chicken for a meal! Can make in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve! #easy #pastasalad #recipe #sidedish #pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 (16-oz) package penne pasta
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves torn
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- ½ cup chopped chives
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup mini sweet peppers sliced
- ½ cup salted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce - such as Crystal brand or Frank's Red Hot
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
- Transfer pasta to a large bowl. Add basil, tomatoes, cucumber, chives, red onion, peppers, sunflower seeds, and feta. Toss well and set aside.
- Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour dressing over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate overnight.
Notes:
Can make in advance and refrigerate overnight.
I sometimes leave out the cucumbers because some people don't like them.
Can add canned tuna or cooked chicken to pasta salad for a main dish.