This orecchiette and halloumi salad is a fabulous no-mayo pasta salad, with sweet oven-roasted tomatoes, fresh cucumber, arugula and herbs, tossed together with orecchiette pasta and halloumi cheese “croutons”. Great as a side dish, but hearty enough for a main dish salad!
This orecchiette pasta salad is delicious, pretty and hearty enough for a main dish. Enjoy it slightly warm, at room temperature or cold. It holds really well in the fridge!
This no-mayo pasta salad brings an abundance of fresh produce, lovely sweet oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and halloumi cheese “croutons”, that deliver a salty note.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Orecchiette pasta – This dome or hat-shaped pasta. The name translates to “ear”, so I guess they could be ear-shaped, too :) This pasta shape is quite easy to find in most grocery stores. Good substitutions would be small shells, cavatelli, rotini or farfelle (bowties) or penne or really any short pasta will work.
Cherry tomatoes – You’ll need a pint of fresh cherry or grape tomatoes for this salad. In a pinch, you could cut up fresh, larger tomatoes.
Fresh cilantro and basil – Fresh cilantro and basil adds lovely flavour to this salad. If fresh basil isn’t available, you can substitute dried basil, using about 1/3 of the amount specified for fresh basil.
Arugula – I love arugula, and it’s a great addition to this salad, but you can certainly omit if you like, or substitute another green you have or enjoy.
Halloumi cheese – Halloumi cheese has become quite easy to find at most grocery stores, at least in my part of the world. If you have the option of several varieties to choose from, grab the one that’s coated in Mediterranean herbs. It’s delicious and goes so well with this salad! Queso fresco or paneer would be a good substitute.
Make it your own!
If you have cobs of corn on hand, cut off some corn kernels and add them to this salad. If you have everything except the halloumi, replace the halloumi “croutons” with bread croutons.
How to make orecchiette and halloumi salad: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by briefly roasting the cherry tomatoes in the oven.
Step 2: Add the roasted tomatoes to a bowl with the olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Step 3: Cook the orecchiette in boiling, salted water to al dente (12-14 minutes).
Step 4: Remove the cooked pasta to the bowl with the marinating tomatoes. Stir together, then allow to cool while you prep the vegetables and halloumi.
Step 5: Prepare the cucumber, onion, herbs and halloumi cheese.
Step 6: Quickly brown the halloumi “croutons” in a skillet.
Step 7: Add the vegetables and herbs to the bowl with the pasta and tomatoes.
Step 8: Add the arugula to the bowl. Toss to combine, then serve garnished with halloumi croutons.
Recipe tips!
- I love how oven-roasting the tomatoes brings out the sweetness, but if you’re not feeling the extra step, simply toss the fresh cherry tomatoes right into the salad.
- I’ve made this salad with different types and brands of halloumi cheese. Some halloumi can be quite salty. You can rinse it in cold water or soak it in cold water for 15-20 minutes before using it to remove some of the saltiness. I find the halloumi with Mediterranean spices (mentioned above) to be the least salty. I wouldn’t recommend rinsing the herbed halloumi, as you’ll rinse off all the lovely herbs.
- You can enjoy this salad slightly warm right after it is assembled, or make it ahead a bit and enjoy it at room temperature. If you’d like, make it several hours ahead and refrigerate. It’s quite nice straight from the fridge, but probably has the best flavour if allowed to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before eating.
How to serve this pasta salad
This pasta salad is certainly hearty enough to enjoy as a dinner salad, maybe with a cob of corn on the side. It is also great to serve alongside any simple protein, such as chicken or fish.
With its Mediterranean flavours, this pasta salad would be perfect with souvlaki skewers (chicken or pork), pork souvlaki burgers or chicken souvlaki pitas, as an alternative to Greek salad.
Making ahead and storing
This salad holds quite well, so you can make it a few hours ahead and refrigerate. I think the flavours are nicest when it isn’t really cold, so maybe remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes ahead, if you can.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Get the Recipe: Orecchiette Pasta and Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 oz orecchiette pasta, or other small
- 4 oz halloumi cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces *see Note 1 below and the "tips"
- 2 mini cucumbers , or about half a Persian cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, or about 1 Tablespoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup baby arugula
Instructions
- Start a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
- Preheat the oven to 425F (regular bake setting/not convection or fan-assisted). Cut the 1 pint cherry tomatoes in half and place them onto a baking sheet. Place into the preheated oven and roast until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, take a minute to cut up the 2 mini cucumbers , 1/2 cup red onion, 1/4 cup fresh basil and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven and immediately transfer to a large bowl (along with any juices). Add the 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the 1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
- When the water is boiling for the pasta, salt the water and cook the 4 oz orecchiette pasta to al dente according to package directions, about 12-14 minutes. Drain the pasta well and add it to the bowl with the tomato mixture.. Stir gently to combine, then let the mixture cool slightly while you brown the halloumi.
- While the tomato mixture cools, cut up the 4 oz halloumi cheese. Add a small bit of oil to a nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. Pat the 4 oz halloumi cheesealloumi dry really well with paper towels, then cook it until golden brown, stirring regularly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet to a plate while you assemble the salad.
- To assemble the salad, add the cucumber, red onion, cilantro, basil and 1 cup baby arugula to the bowl with the pasta/tomato mixture. Stir gently to combine. Top with the halloumi "croutons" to serve.
Notes
Adapted from a NYT recipe, with several changes to the original version.
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
