Greek Pasta Salad




I love this Greek pasta salad recipe for an easy lunch. It packs well if you are looking for a frugal lunch to take to work. The original recipe called for red wine vinegar, but I like the taste of balsamic vinegar in the dressing.

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar

Whisk together the above ingredients to make the dressing.

1/2 lb. rotini pasta, cooked and drained
3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 oz. package of crumbled feta cheese
1 hothouse cucumber, sliced and quartered
16 oz. can small whole black olives
3/4 cup sliced pepperoni sausage, cut into strips (optional)

In a large bowl, combine pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber, black olives and pepperoni. Add dressing and toss to evenly coat ingredients. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight.