In the little town of Sylva North Carolina, there is a restaurant called Lulu's on Main. I've been ordering this dish for near 20 years and it never disappoints! I was told that ownership changed a few years ago. When they revamped the menu and removed this entree, there was an outcry to bring it back and thankfully they listened!
I've recreated it several times at home and it's a hit every time with our guests. Thank goodness there was not much to decipher since the ingredients are straight forward and simple. Feel free to add grilled chicken breast or shrimp if you desire!
1 cup diced tomatoes
3/4 cup diced red onion
3/4 cup chopped pepperoncini
3/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup of toasted walnut pieces
1/2 cup Lemon Oil (see recipe below)
Toss pasta in large bowl toss with 1/2 of the lemon oil to prevent sticky pasta. Portion pasta on 4 separate plates, top with equal amounts of the remaining ingredients and drizzle with more lemon oil. Toss to combine for perfect bites! Salt and pepper to taste.
Lemon Oil
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Peeled zest of 1 large lemon (no pith) I use a potato peeler!
Pour EVOO in sauce pan with peeled lemon jest. Warm for 10 minutes, but do not allow to simmer. This will prevent the oil from becoming bitter. I usually place the oil on the burner where I boiled the pasta. The residual heat does the trick! If you don't have a flat top stove that retains heat after turning off, place burner on the lowest setting and watch to make sure it doesn't simmer. Smell and taste the oil to ensure the lemon has infused.
Note: I've made this for a potluck, substituting the linguine with fusulini, placing the colorful veggies on top of pasta for a beautiful presentation, tossing with remaining lemon oil just before serving.
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