Spicy Greek Wagonwheels

I’m always in search of different pasta shapes.

One I was  re-introduced to recently is Rotelle. You probably called it “Wagonwheels” as a kid, because that’s exactly what it looks like. It’s a round, ridged wheel with a spoke in the center and six rays coming out to the wheel’s edge. It is a very happy looking pasta shape and always makes me smile.

I remember it from many pasta salads in my youth, but wanted to find a new way to use it with Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips – one of my new favorites. This is a fairly easy, colorful, and tasty summer dish that is great on the night you make it, and even better doubling as a cold pasta salad (with some extra feta) the following day.

This dish is especially  gorgeous if you use a nice variety of cherry or grape tomatoes. Jerry and Gayle, my favorite couple at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, own Gayle’s Gardens and grew over 1500 cherry tomato plants this year.  Jerry told me that they got most of their seeds from Johnny’s Artisan Tomato Collection. Here are just a few of the lovely varieties they grew: Blush, Green Tiger, Lucky Tiger, Pink Tiger, Sun Sugar, Snow White, Sunpeach, Pink Bumble Bee, Sunrise Bumble Bee, Purple Bumble Bee, and Ceylon. (I’ve added helpful links for all you Pinterest gardeners out there!) I can’t wait to go back and buy more this weekend!

This easy dish is also made special because of the tasty feta cheese.  Always use a good quality feta.  I recommend Bosky Acres feta (for those of you in the Carolinas) or Olivia, if you live elsewhere.

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