When I was a teenager, my family would go to the county fair every year. I loved the opportunity to try new foods from all over the world, and my favorite was always the gyro with tzatziki sauce from the Greek booth.
A gyro is made with thinly sliced lamb or beef that is seasoned, cooked, and then folded in a soft pita bread. It is typically topped with tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers, and served with a yogurt sauce called tzatziki. Tzatziki is made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs, and it has a creamy, refreshing flavor that is perfect for a hot summer day.
Years later, I decided to incorporate the flavors of tzatziki into a summery dish for my catering menu. I used shell pasta, which holds up well to the dressing and has a nice shape for scooping up the sauce. I also added spinach and red onion for color and contrast. The result was a delicious and refreshing dish that was a hit with my customers.
Creamy Cool Shell Pasta Salad
with Spinach and Cucumber
This pasta salad was created for a tropical theme party where a creamy dish seemed more appropriate to serve along with lots of fruits and more acidic salads. Rich and tangy, the lemony yogurt dressing works beautifully with fresh spinach and shells.
Serves 35
3 pounds pasta small shell
2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
1 tablespoon dill fresh
1½ tablespoon salt
2 lemons juiced
2 English cucumbers
1 red onion sliced
12 ounces fresh baby spinach
Bring water to boil in a large pot add enough salt that you can taste it in the water. Cook shells till al dente, about 7 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Cook in batches if your pot is too small to offer ample room for pasta to cook. Strain in a colander and rinse in cold water. Drain thoroughly and chill.
In very large mixing bowl whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Stir in lemon pepper, dill, salt and lemon juice.
Stir in cooked shells, onions and spinach. Cut cucumber lengthwise then slice and add to pasta.
Season with additional salt and lemon pepper to taste.
COOKS NOTE
Shell pasta is made in several sizes. Use the small shells for this recipe.
If you substitute regular cucumbers for English cucumbers, seed them before adding to the salad.
Shell Pasta Salad with cucumber yogurt dressing on buffet