… is this simple pasta salad. Seriously. It’s the easiest thing in the world to make, and yet when friends and family visit, this is what they ask for.
I vary ingredients a lot, but the technique is basic: boil pasta in a pot of rapidly boiling and salted water. The salted water is a key element in getting maximum deliciousness out of this salad.
While the pasta’s cooking, prep your vegetables. Some of my favorite combinations are a) chopped tomatoes, basil and minced garlic b) finely chopped summer squash or zucchini, thyme, and garlic or c) what you see here, which is chopped garden tomatoes, sliced fennel, and a chiffonade of basil. Douse vegetables with EVOO, salt and freshly ground pepper. Then shred or chop your cheese of choice. Today, I did buffalo mozzarella and a liberal grating of Parmesan.
Drain pasta and dump in bowl of vegetables. The hot pasta actually “cooks” the vegetables; within seconds the aroma of the herbs and garlic (if you’ve used it) will surround you. Then stir in the cheese. Now eat.
I’m telling you — there will be no leftovers.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This looks so good. I haven’t made pasta or rice salad in ages. Yum.
I had a tasty rice salad at a BBQ this weekend that reminded me how good it can be. My friend Rebekah makes a really, really delicious rice salad that’s perfect for picnics or bbqs. I’m always asking her to make it and I could eat bowlful after bowlful of it. She gave me the (rough) recipe. Here it is:
Rebekah’s Rice Salad
1 cup Aborio rice
1 tomato cored and diced
1 yellow capsicum diced
1 cucumber (seeded) diced
1/2 cup mozarella
2 tbspn capers
12 kalamata olives
10 basil leaves
10 mint leaves
5 tbsp extra virgin oil
lemon juice
salt + P
Cook rice in salted water til al dente, run under cold water to stop it cooking then drain thoroughly.
When dry combine ingredients – toss and let stand for at least 15 minutes before eating.
I actually use fetta instead of mozarella (I occasionally use both if I buy good mozarella) and I use extra vegetables and herbs – often chuck in some parsley too. I haven’t tried it with brown rice but I reckon it would be good.
Ooo, that recipe looks cool. Must try before the weather cools off.
Well Deb, your summer season is coming — soon you can be back to salads.