Get the Recipe: Orecchiette Pasta and Halloumi Salad
Orecchiette pasta is combined with oven-roasted tomatoes, fresh cucumber, red onion, herbs and fabulous halloumi "croutons", all tossed in a red wine vinaigrette.
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.
Some halloumi can be quite salty. You can rinse it in cold water or soak it in cold water for 15-20 minutes to remove some of the saltiness. I find the halloumi with Mediterranean spices (mentioned in Note 1 below) to be the least salty. I wouldn't recommend rinsing the herbed halloumi, as you'll rinse off all the lovely herbs.
Notes
Note 1: Halloumi cheese is fairly easy to find in most grocery stores now. You can use plain halloumi, but I love the halloumi coated in Mediterranean spices! It adds a bit more flavour, and I find it's also less salty than plain halloumi.
Tips!
If needed, you can add additional olive oil and/or red wine vinegar to the salad.
Be a little cautious with additional salt, as the halloumi can be quite salty.
You can enjoy this salad freshly assembled and slightly warm or make it a bit ahead and enjoy it at room temperature. You can make it ahead and refrigerate, though the flavours are best at room temperature, so you may want to take it out of the fridge a bit early.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips on making this recipe, substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1 serving
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