Summer pasta salad
1 hour 7 min
Healthy, low-fat pasta makes a great base for salads. Enjoy this one for a light summer lunch or supper, or serve with a barbecue.
Maggie Pannell
1 person made this
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1/2 cucumber
- 200g elbow macaroni
- 4 tomatoes
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
- 12 stoned black olives, halved
- 50g fresh Parmesan, pared into shavings
- DRESSING
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Prep:55min ›
Cook:12min ›
Ready in:1hr7min
- Peel the cucumber and halve lengthways, then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Cut into thin slices. Place the cucumber in a sieve, sprinkle with a little salt and allow to drain.
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Tip in the pasta and cook for 10–12 minutes or following the packet instructions, until al dente.
- Meanwhile, scald the tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and cool quickly under cold running water. Peel away the skins using a sharp knife. Halve and seed the tomatoes, then dice. Tip them into a salad bowl and add the onions and olives.
- Put the oil, vinegar and mustard in a screw-top jar and shake well together. Pour over the salad.
- Drain the pasta and rinse under cold running water to cool quickly. Add to the salad and toss together to combine. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Add the cucumber and Parmesan to the salad just before serving and toss together.
COOK SMART
*If preferred, leave the peel on the cucumber. *For strict vegetarians, omit the Parmesan and use an alternative cheese.
