Costco Shoppers Are Thrilled Over The Return Of This Deli Favorite
A returning packaged salad has been spotted in Costco's deli section. On Instagram and Facebook, videos of people reaching into the case and pulling out a plastic container of noodles, feta, olives, and chicken are making the rounds. After a long absence, the Greek pasta salad with rotisserie chicken and dressing has returned to us when we needed it — right when shoppers are wary of packaged salads with lettuce.
@costcohotfinds, an Instagram user with 3.5 million followers who turns Costco trips into a mini-Costco news empire, stated that the pasta had been missing from the deli for almost a decade. This gives us hope that these 13 discontinued Costco items we wish to have back may someday return. The pasta is made with penne noodles, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, red onion, grape tomatoes, and a Greek vinaigrette dressing. Commenters debated how long the salad was missing, with some saying their region had it in the last ten years.
How does this salad taste?
Costco influencer @discovering_costco described the chicken as fresh, and said that the pasta is al dente and the veggies are crisp and refreshing. The dressing was a little too much for them with its strong vinegar flavor. If you aren't a big fan of vinegar, you can always make your own Greek pasta salad and use the amount of red wine vinegar you prefer. At Costco, the salad costs $4.99 a pound — homemade in bulk will almost certainly cost less per pound.
If you want to make this pasta salad more Greek in character, instead of penne pasta, you can use orzo. Orzo works well in any pasta salad, but its texture is particularly suited to Greek ingredients and dressing. Both pastas have Italian roots, so this swap is not about authenticity. Penne is useful for holding chunky sauces in its tube — but a Greek salad will most likely use an olive oil and vinegar mix. Using orzo creates an evenly distributed pasta coated in the vinaigrette rather than pooling inside a tube. The size of orzo means your utensil can have a fairer distribution of pasta and other ingredients. If you have the time to make your own Greek salad, give orzo a try!