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Overhead shot of orecchiette pasta salad with arugula, feta, and strawberries in a shallow white bowl next to a wooden spoon.

Orecchiette Pasta Salad with Feta, Arugula, Strawberries, and Prosciutto

Learn how to make an awesome cold Orecchiette Pasta Salad, which has a salty and peppery kick with a slight sweet tang.
Course Main Dishes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 5 slices prosciutto
  • 9 ounces orecchiette pasta
  • 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cups crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 cups baby arugula or 2 cups regular arugula roughly chopped
  • 1.5 cups sliced strawberries

Instructions

  1. Lay slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes or until crispy, flipping once midway through. Set aside to cool and crumble.
  2. Combine the olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk.
  3. Bring 6 quarts of water to boil with 6 tablespoons of kosher salt. Once the water has reached a boil, add the orecchiette pasta. Bring the water back to a boil and cook for 13 minutes.
  4. Drain the pasta in a strainer (do not rinse it) and transfer to a medium sized bowl. Toss with the dressing and feta cheese, mixing until well incorporated and the feta has become a creamy coating. Spread the pasta out on a baking sheet to cool.
  5. Once the pasta has cooled, transfer it to a medium sized bowl. Add the crumbled prosciutto, arugula, and strawberries, tossing until mixed evenly. Serve with a drizzle of traditional aged balsamic vinegar (or balsamic reduction) if desired.

Recipe Notes

For making cold pasta, use 4 tablespoons of salt for every 4 quarts of water. You can really taste the salt on the pasta because of this so when making the dressing (olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper), consider reducing the salt to 1/4th teaspoon rather than a 1/2 teaspoon. You can then add more if needed once the salad is completely mixed together. I didn't do this and I loved how it turned out with a 1/2 teaspoon salt, but I tend to like things more salty than most. I also added more sweet strawberries to counter the salt.