Cold pasta salad
Pasta salad is a summer classic: fresh, it provides vitamins and hydrates. We'll tell you how to make it easily and quickly.
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It is the summer recipe par excellence and the most useful when preparing a box to eat at work, to go on an trip or to spend the day at the beach. But be careful, because pasta salad is not a food container.
Although it can include a variety of ingredients, it shouldn’t be overloaded with food or dressings. In addition, the type of pasta and the cooking time are also very important. When it comes to the type, the best is undoubtedly short pasta: macaroni, chifferi, gomiti... on the contrary, long pasta and bow pasta should be avoided, since their flat surface means that the dressing does not adhere well and ends up at the bottom of the plate.
When it comes to cooking time, to eat cold pasta, it must be cooked a little longer than usual. That is, if the manufacturer says that to be al dente it needs 8 minutes, it must be boiled for a couple more minutes to prevent it from becoming hard and sticky when cooling.
Another issue which shouldn't be ignored is dressing. Although pasta allows for different varieties of dressing, it doesn't have to be overloaded and, more importantly, it shouldn't be dressed in advance. Ideally, do it just before eating.
You can use anything from the classic oil and salt dressing, to more sophisticated vinaigrettes or even add fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, mint or thyme. However, the least-recommended option is dressing with mayonnaise or pink sauce, since these types of sauces mask the taste of the food and can be spoiled by heat.
Original pasta salad
It is the pasta recipe par excellence, originally from Italy and easy to prepare. We'll tell you how to prepare the authentic pasta recipe:
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 300 g of short pasta
- 1 tin of natural tuna
- 1 buffalo mozzarella for dicing
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- Some fresh basil leaves
- 8 black olives
- Salt
- White pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
1. Boil plenty of water with a handful of salt. When the water starts to boil add the pasta and stick to the time indicated by the manufacturer, plus 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into cubes, cut the cherry tomatoes and olives in half and add the tin of tuna. Mix everything well in a bowl.
3. Then add the basil leaves, and salt and pepper.
4. When the pasta is cold, mix with the rest of the ingredients and wet with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Ready to serve!
More cold pasta salad recipes
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 300 g of short pasta
- 1 packet of smoked salmon
- 2 boiled eggs
- 1 avocado
- 1 buffalo mozzarella for dicing
- pickled capers
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 pinch of salt
Preparation:
1. Boil plenty of water with a handful of salt. When the water starts to boil add the pasta and stick to the time indicated by the manufacturer, plus 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Put 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 of honey, 1 of mustard and 1 pinch of salt in a bowl, stir and set aside.
3. Next, dice the eggs, avocados and mozzarella. Add to the bowl along with the capers.
4. Cut the salmon into strips and add to the mixture.
5. When the pasta is ready, drain, cool and combine with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Finally, before serving, water with the vinaigrette.
