Spaghetti Salad

©1991 "From Ellie's Kitchen to Yours"

To give this recipe a real nutritional boost, use spaghetti that is high in fiber. Also, if you prefer goat cheese rather than Feta, that also works well.

Salad:
8 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
4 medium tomatoes, cut in chunks
1 cucumber, peeled and cut in chunks
1 onion, chopped
1/4 C parsley, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 Ib Feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/4 C olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T wine vinegar
1 T sugar
T fresh basil, finely chopped or 1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
Dash Tabasco sauce

Combine ingredients for dressing and refrigerate for several hours or up to a few days ahead. Cook spaghetti and drain. Transfer to a large bowl. While spaghetti is still hot, mix with Feta cheese. Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion and parsley. Add dressing and toss.

Hint: If you find that Feta cheese is too salty, try the imported Feta from France. It is much creamier in texture and a lot less salty than domestic Feta. You may substitute 1 heaping tablespoon of dried parsley for the fresh parsley. The ratio between fresh to dried herbs is 3:1. You need three times as much of the fresh as dried.