The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Pasta Salad: 5 Italian Pasta Salad Recipes
Pasta Fredda or Pasta Salad is the classic cold first course, ideal for summer! Easy and quick to prepare, if seasoned in the right way, pasta salad also becomes a perfect brunch dish or a single summer dish, suitable to take to the beach, to a picnic, and for a summer lunch with family or friends.
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad:
- 350 g short pasta (It's better to choose the durum wheat semolina pasta that keeps cooking perfectly)
- Juice of 1/4 lemon
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
VEGAN
- 2 ripe avocados
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt to taste
- 400 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove of garlic
- 20 g pine nuts
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Arugula to garnish
MEDITERRANEAN
- 300 g cherry tomatoes
- 100 g feta
- 80 g pitted black olives
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Fresh basil to garnish
SALMON
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 200 g smoked salmon
- 1 ripe avocado
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Ground black pepper
BRESAOLA & PARMESAN
- 250 g bresaola or ham of your choice
- 50 g Parmesan
- 1 carrot
- 2 handfuls of arugula
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
TUNA & CORN
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- 100 g cherry tomatoes
- 100 g canned corn
- 300-320 g canned tuna in oil drained
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
For the Pasta Salad:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta 1 minute before "al dente" cooking indicated on the package.
- Drain pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Stir it occasionally until it reaches room temperature. At this point, you can season it however you like.
- For all variations: Wash and dry the vegetables. Cut all ingredients into small pieces. Add the ingredients to the bowl with pasta. Mix well and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. Toss to coat.
- Finally, add a pinch of salt if necessary and be generous with extra virgin olive oil and aromas!
- Your Pasta Salad is ready!
VEGAN
- Peels the avocado and cut the pulp into cubes. Add it to a bowl with lemon and salt and toss to coat it. That way it won't get dark.
- Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes and cut them into 4 parts. Peel and mince the garlic.
- In a bowl, mix the cherry tomatoes with the garlic and a pinch of salt and marinate for 10 minutes.
MEDITERRANEAN
- Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes and cut them into 4 parts. Cut the Feta into cubes.
SALMON
- Cut the salmon into strips. Peel the avocado, and cut the pulp into cubes.
BRESAOLA & PARMESAN
- Cut the Bresaola into strips. Julienne grate (small strips) the Parmesan and the previously washed and dried carrot.
TUNA & CORN
- Chop the parsley. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes and cut them into 4 parts.
- Drain the corn and tuna from all the liquid in the can.