5 Summer Pasta Salads
For delicious summer pasta salads, all that’s needed are a bit of fantasy and your natural instinct for color and freshness. The variations are infinite and the cooking required is minimal.
For delicious summer pasta salads (insalata di pasta), all that’s needed are a bit of fantasy and your natural instinct for color and freshness. The variations are infinite and the cooking required is minimal. The best condiments for lukewarm pasta salads are extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs like basil, parsley and even rughetta (arugula). Vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, can be added raw—or quickly grilled or briefly sautéed in a pan—to instantly add flavor and color to many pasta salads. A classic Italian summer pasta salad contains fresh chopped tomatoes (or quartered, if cherry tomatoes are used); buffalo or regular fresh mozzarella; basil; and extra virgin olive oil added to the cooked and naturally cooled pasta. To these basic ingredients, just add whatever appeals to you, following the season—for example, pitted and chopped olives, capers and thyme; the combinations are endless, as you’ll see below.
Some very important tips about cooking the pasta: Be sure to cook your pasta very al dente—that is, a couple of minutes before the suggested cooking time, remove it from the heat, drain it and spread it on any clean and fairly large surface that you have, and drizzle some olive oil on top. The old marble tables were ideal, but a large plate or your clean kitchen table will also do just fine. It will cool down very quickly, especially if you toss it once in awhile, and you will avoid a mushy preparation. You can run cold water over the pasta (while it’s still in the pot) immediately after you remove it from the flame to stop the cooking process, but only for just a couple of seconds, not more—otherwise you’ll ruin the pasta, causing it to lose its texture and its salt. Whole wheat pasta is recommended for creating wonderfully healthy and refreshing salads. Any cut of pasta will do—short pastas, though, are usually preferred because they are more practical for mixing, serving and eating. One last thing: in insalate di pasta the amount of pasta in proportion to the vegetables is less than in hot pasta dishes.
1) A classic pasta salad in Italy is also one of the simplest: fresh cherry or piccadilly (datterini) tomatoes, basil, parsley and olives combined with your favorite short-cut pasta. Cut plenty of tomatoes in quarters, place them in a colander and sprinkle with sea salt so that they dispel most of their water and seeds. Thirty minutes later, marinate them in a bowl for a few hours (in a cool place) together with plenty of pitted, chopped olives—green and/or black—and copious amounts of chopped parsley, torn basil, extra virgin olive oil, one or two cloves of chopped roasted garlic, and black ground pepper or hot chili pepper. Mix the cooked and cooled pasta (very al dente) with the lukewarm sauce and let it rest for a while before serving.
There are a few popular variations of this pasta salad, such as the addition of anchovies and capers. Or try this variation: Add grilled peppers or eggplant (in the eggplant variation, use fewer olives to avoid bitterness). Also, try adding a generous amount of rughetta (arugula) and cubed mozzarella or parmesan shavings.
2) Here is a great suggestion for how to use barbecue leftovers: Cut thin slices of leftover grilled chicken breast or tender charcoal-grilled beef with thin slices of peppers, grilled eggplant and sautéed vegetables—such as spinach or chicory—or arugula, and mix with your choice of cooked short pasta. You can add some tomatoes—roasted or raw—and parsley or basil. Mix everything with a good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Serve it lukewarm or cold.
3) This pasta salad will satisfy your summer craving for greens and nourishing whole-wheat short pasta. Five minutes before draining the pasta add some green beans to the boiling water; when the pasta is al dente, add just a bit of cold water to the pot to stop the cooking; drain and let the mixture cool down in a bowl, mixing in some extra virgin olive oil. Then, add some raw dandelion greens or escarole (torn in small pieces), chopped onions, dill, parsley, and finally lemon juice and thinly chopped lemon zest. For an American variation, add some sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with dill.
4. This irresistible summer pasta salad features the always winning combination of mozzarella, sopressata (or the salami of your choice), and olives combined with your favorite short pasta—then for the really special touch, add Delallo’s marinated artichokes and marinated roasted peppers (both cut into bite-size pieces) and caponata. There’s no cooking involved (apart from the pasta) and you can use what you have in the pantry; this is great as an appetizer or as a light main course on a hot summer day.
5) Fresh ricotta (or, alternatively, the hard, salted ricotta salata) is a great ingredient for pasta in general. In the summer, you can prepare the pasta ahead of time (lighting up the stove during the cooler part of the day)—using farfalle, penne or wheel pasta with the ricotta of your choice—adding chopped tomatoes; slices of grilled zucchini, cut vertically; a bit of roasted garlic; pitted and chopped Kalamata, Gaeta or Taggiasche black olives. Top it off with basil or a spoonful of Delallo pesto, olive oil, salt and pepper.
6) If you like good-quality canned tuna fish there are a variety of possibilities for easy pasta salads. Tuna marries beautifully with olives, capers, anchovies and parsley, for example. You can also mix your pasta and tuna with sliced, raw or grilled yellow and red peppers; green onions; fresh tomatoes; and parsley. If you enjoy a little extra crunch (and nutty flavor), you can add roasted pine nuts.
Note: You should never rinse your pasta unless you are making pasta salad and/or if the recipe says to do so. Click Here for some more helpful tips on how to cook pasta perfect everytime!
Summer Pasta Salad with Grilled Zucchini, Ricotta, Pesto and Olives
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Gnocchi with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Pesto
