Green Tahini Pasta Salad with Feta and Fried Chickpeas
Pasta salads often get a bad rap for being rather ho-hum. But not this version. It’s packed with loads of fresh herbs and crispy fried chickpeas. To tie the salad together, we toss it with our bright-tasting green tahini—a far cry from the typical heavy, mayo-based dressings. We combine tahini, the Middle Eastern sesame seed paste, with lemon juice, olive oil, green onions, garlic and more herbs. Then the salad is finished with chunks of creamy feta cheese for a touch of richness and salty tang.
Ingredients:
- For the green tahini:
- 1 cup (10 oz./315 g) tahini
- Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems (about 2 cups/3/4 oz./20 g loosely packed)
- Handful of fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 2 cups/3/4 oz./20 g loosely packed)
- 2 green onions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons), plus 1/2 lemon for serving
- 6 Tbs. (3 fl. oz./90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) cold water
For the pasta salad:
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 can (14 oz./440 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb. (500 g) pasta, such as fusilli, ditalini or campanelle, cooked until tender and cooled
- 3 shallots, diced
- 1/4 cup (1/3 oz./10 g) chopped fresh dill, plus dill sprigs for garnish
- 1/4 cup (1/3 oz./10 g) chopped fresh cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
- 6 oz. (185 g) feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch (2-cm) pieces
Directions:
To make the green tahini, in a food processor, combine the tahini, parsley, cilantro, green onions, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, 4 tsp. salt and about 15 grindings of pepper and process until blended, about 30 seconds. Stop the processor and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl (sometimes the tahini will stick to the bottom). With the processor running, slowly pour in the cold water and process until the mixture is very smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Set aside.
To make the pasta salad, in a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chickpeas and fry, shaking the pan occasionally, until they have shrunken slightly and the skins are crisp and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt, then transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the shallots, chopped dill and cilantro and about three-fourths of the green tahini. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and drizzle with more green tahini and a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired. Top with the feta, fried chickpeas, dill sprigs and cilantro leaves and serve. Serves 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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