Feta brine pasta salad

Simple eating for a hot day

Hello, and welcome to today’s Stories from Catbird Cottage! I have parents in town to celebrate my birthday, and in a minute, we’re all headed out for hot fudge sundaes, both as celebration - and antidote to - the unusually persistent heat… But before we head out, I wanted to make sure to share this recent dish I whipped up for everyone. Hope it’s a hit in your house :)

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I’ve had a container of leftover feta brine lurking about the fridge. With family in town the lack of refrigerator space is extra palpable, and so I started thinking on what delicious thing I could do with it, make some room in the process, and feed folks, all in one. It’s nice when a dish can check all those boxes. We all agreed this recipe was delicious and doesn’t ask much to bring you there.

Squash, snap peas, and chives from my garden, having their moment

Feta brine is obviously salty by nature. In reducing the liquid volume by cooking it down, the saltiness intensifies, so a little goes a long way. Mild summer squash and pasta benefit from the hit of this salty bath, and the snap peas and walnuts add delightful verve.

Feta brine pasta salad
serves 4-6

1 cup snap peas, sliced into 1/4 inch segments
1 1/2 cups summer squash or zucchini, ends trimmed and thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 cup feta brine
8 oz tortiglioni, penne, or fusilli
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp finely snipped chives
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped 
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pasta water

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, bring the feta brine to a boil, then lower heat to medium and reduce by a third, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Just add a small pinch of salt at this stage, rather than seawater level salt (to offset for the feta brine saltiness later). Transfer pasta to a mixing bowl and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add the olive oil and half the pasta water to the feta brine, and whisk until emulsified over medium heat. Add the remaining pasta water for an even looser sauce, to your preference.

Add the squash to the liquid and stir to coat. Continue stirring occasionally, until the squash turn pliant and soft, but still brightly hued.

Pour the whole mixture over the noodles, add the snap peas and half the chives, and a generous amount of cracked pepper, and toss all together to incorporate. You want all of the elements to be dressed in the feta brine mixture, without necessarily ending up slurping up every last salty drop.

Transfer the pasta salad to a serving platter (or don’t) and serve the remaining chives alongside, sprinkle with toasted walnuts, and dive in.

If you make this dish, I’d love to hear if it also brought you satisfying eating in the summer swelter. What otherwise is bringing you relief? Summer is always hot, but this year feels like new resourcefulness is warranted. Thanks for letting me know in the comments!