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Makaronosalata (Pasta Salad) with Mushrooms and Octopus in Yoghurt Sauce

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Octopus pasta salad

I have just completed 300 posts and in a couple of months it will be a whole year of blogging. Wow, it seems like ages since then.

I have been making this easy pasta salad for ages using any kind of small pasta which is called “kofto” meaning “cut” in Greek.  You can use ditali pasta.  After boiling pasta I added some extra virgin olive oil, light mayonnaise and depending on what I had at home, I used leftover boiled chicken breast or canned tuna and added some vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Instead of chicken or tuna you can still make it using finely chopped ham or turkey and cubed cheeses such as feta or graviera and halloumi.  Make your own combination with the ingredients you have at home and refrigerate the salad at least for an hour.  This is a perfect summer meal or a side dish.

The previous day I had prepared an Octopus in tomato sauce but instead of adding pasta the kids wanted Fried Potatoes, the Greek Way and my husband and I ate it with some rice pilaf. There was just a little leftover, so I made good use of the octopus and made this light and delicious pasta salad with some mushrooms.

Instead of using mayonnaise I made my own Yoghurt Sauce with Piccalilly pickles.

Yoghurt mustard Sauce

Makaronosalata (Pasta Salad) with Mushrooms and Octopus in Yoghurt Sauce

For the Mushrooms:

Ingredients:

  • 250 grams fresh pleurotus (oyster mushrooms) (rinsed)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
  • A splash (2 – 3 tbsps)  dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

For the Pasta:

  • 250 grams boiled makaronaki kofto or ditali pasta
  • 1 cup red, green, yellow peppers, cut julienne
  • 1 cup cooked octopus, without the sauce
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • salt (if needed)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Yoghurt Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons of pickles ( or 1 tsp mustard)
  • 1 full fat Greek yoghurt

Directions:

  1. Slice mushrooms into pieces. Sauté garlic in olive oil for 15 seconds. Add mushrooms and sauté 3 minutes.
  2. Add rosemary and butter and stir fry until butter is melted. Sprinkle some flour and stir to make a roux.
  3. Add wine and soy sauce and cook until liquid slightly thickens and the mushrooms are tender.   Set aside until they cool.
  4. Boil pasta in salty water according to package instructions.   Add cold water and drain.  If you are not going to use them immediately, mix in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  5. Put pickles and yoghurt in a food processor and make a creamy mixture.
  6. Mix all the other ingredients together, add sauce and toss well.
  7. Refrigerate for at least half an hour before serving.

Pasta salad

You can find my Greek recipes in my cookbooks «More Than A Greek Salad», and«Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!» both available on all Amazon stores. Read more here.

 

Other related Recipes:

Makaronosalata (pasta salad) with Chicken

Kopiaste

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

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Jenny

Monday 26th of April 2010

What an amazing use of leftovers!

african vanielje

Tuesday 8th of July 2008

Now this I have to try. I've had squid ink pasta with chilli squid this week, but this is on my radar for next time the fish market has octopus.

Jude

Wednesday 2nd of July 2008

This has to be the most unusual recipe I've encountered in a while. Looks great and I happen to have greek style yogurt on hand all the time.

Ivy

Monday 30th of June 2008

I am glad you liked it Bobby.

Bobby

Monday 30th of June 2008

This looks really good. The yogurt sauce... mmm. Plus, you can't go wrong with the mushrooms :)

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