By Kathryn McLean
Now that it’s May, many of us are cleaning up our decks and uncovering the bbq for the season. We’re ready to enjoy the warm weather ahead, including eating outdoors and entertaining in our backyards.
So here’s a simple pasta salad recipe that’s perfect for the start of spring. Serve this salad as a side dish with a grilled dinner or as a cold entree.
The recipe lends itself to customization and substitutions. If you want to use chickpea or lentil pasta in place of traditional white pasta, go ahead. Penne, farfalle or fusilli shapes are all nice here but you can use another shape if you prefer.
You can omit the cheese or try using another variety, such as crumbled feta. If this will serve as the main course, consider adding chickpeas or chunks of canned tuna so that everyone gets some protein.
Add sliced sundried tomatoes, jarred artichokes or rinsed and drained beans; I suggest kidney, romano or fava for this Mediterranean-style salad.
Feel free to add or replace vegetables according to what your family prefers. Try these: thinly sliced celery, halved snap peas, grated carrot, fresh or marinated mushrooms, and chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, mint or dill.
I’ve included two simple dressing options: an herbed oil and vinegar dressing, and a light yogurt dressing to mimic the popular, but heavier, mayo-based dressings. Simply choose one of the two dressing recipes below and make your own pasta salad in minutes.
Here’s the best method to prepare the pasta: Cook the pasta, drain (don’t rinse!) and toss with a little extra virgin olive oil so the noodles don’t stick to one another. Then allow the pasta to cool in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Toss your cooked and cooled noodles with the veggies and homemade dressing. That’s it: fresh pasta salad, ready to serve indoors or outdoors.
Spring-ready pasta salad (serves 4 as an entree, 8 or more as a side)
● 225g dry pasta (½ traditional 450g package), cooked, drained and tossed with ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then covered and refrigerated until cool
● ½ bell pepper, cut and seeded, then halved horizontally and thinly sliced
● ½ English cucumber, quartered lengthwise then cut into ½” pieces
● ½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
● 1 cup roughly chopped kale or spinach (remove and discard the kale stems first)
● ⅓ cup bocconcini, sliced or torn
● ⅓ cup mixed olives, pitted and roughly halved
● 3-4 thin slices of red onion, halved
Simple olive oil dressing:
● 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
● 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
● ¼ tsp sea salt
● ⅛ tsp black pepper (6 turns on a grinder)
● ¼ tsp dried oregano
● Pinch of white sugar
Combine all the ingredients in a small jar, glass or dish and mix well to incorporate the oil. Mix or shake before using.
Light yogurt dressing:
● 2 Tbsp plain (not flavoured) yogurt
● scant 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
● ¼ tsp sea salt
● ⅛ tsp black pepper (6 turns on a grinder)
Combine all the ingredients in a small jar, glass or dish and mix well to incorporate the oil. Mix or shake before using.