A quick pasta salad with plenty of punch

Most people don't associate marinating with the making of a pasta salad.

Yet pasta salads, whether an intricate recipe or just a pile of pasta with a bottle of vinaigrette dumped over it, generally improve with age. And it's all due to marinating. The flavors of the salad meld and are absorbed by the pasta.

But how about when there isn't time to let the salad sit? Those hot summer evenings when a cool, flavorful pasta salad and a glass of crisp white wine are called for? Is it possible to get the same flavor without the time?

With the right ingredients, easily.

Start with the pasta. As with many pasta dishes, shape matters. Spirals are best for this sort of salad, because their shape is perfect for trapping the dressing and other ingredients that give this dish its punch.

It's also important to allow the pasta to drain. The pasta should be dry and a bit tacky or starchy when it is combined with the other ingredients; this helps the other flavors adhere to it.

For the dressing, oil and vinegar are obvious. Lemon zest adds a wake-you-up freshness and oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes contribute a vital savory, almost mouth-puckeringly good note.

But perhaps most important to the dressing is crumbled feta cheese. Not only does this salty, assertive cheese contribute tons of flavor, it's dry texture also serves as sponge for the other flavors in the dressing. This is why the dressing is made first.

This recipe calls for fresh corn kernels cut from the cob. Though (only slightly) more labor intensive than using canned or frozen, the taste is sufficiently superior to make it worth the effort.

Though an unusual addition to a pasta salad, diced green apple provides a fantastic tart flavor that goes well with the feta cheese. And like the more traditional celery, it also adds a satisfying crunch to contrast the other, softer ingredients.

At this point, this dish could be enjoyed as a typical side salad. To turn it into a meal, several cups of rotisserie chicken meat are all that's needed. Vegetarians could substitute seasoned tofu.

Punched-up pasta salad

8 ounce block feta cheese, finely crumbled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup cider vinegar

8 ounces pasta spirals

2 ears corn

1 small red onion, diced

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 green apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl combine the feta cheese, olive oil, lemon zest, sun-dried tomatoes and vinegar. Toss well and set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.

Once the pasta has cooked, drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Let the pasta stand in the colander 5 minutes to drain any excess water. Toss the pasta once or twice during this time.

While the pasta cooks and drains, prepare the corn. To remove the kernels from the corn, start by removing the husk, then stand the ear on the wide end and use a serrated knife to saw down the length of the corn. Discard the cobs.

When the pasta is ready, transfer it to a large bowl. Add the feta cheese mixture and toss well. Add the corn, red onion, celery, tomatoes, apple and oregano. Toss well, then season to taste with salt and pepper.