Pasta Salads: Creamy Italian

Pasta is a kind of noodle made from unleavened dough of wheat or buckwheat flour and water, sometimes with other ingredients such as eggs and vegetable extracts. Pastas include varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini. Dishes using the noodles are often prepared with a variety of sauces and meats.

Pasta is typical of different cultures and countries, but the most famous varieties and recipes come from Italy. There are hundreds of different shapes of pasta with at least locally recognised names. Examples include spaghetti (thin strings), maccheroni (tubes or cylinders), fusilli (swirls), and lasagne (sheets).

Here is a recipe of Asparagus Cheese Pasta Salad:

Ingredients:

# 250 gms mini pasta
# 1/2 cup olives, pitted and diced
# 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
# 1/8 cup olive oil / sunflower oil
# 1 small red onion, chopped
# 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
# 1 tablespoon butter / mayonnaise
# 1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
# 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
# 1/2 tsp salt
# 1 cup asparagus trimmed and steamed till tender-crisp then cooled and chopped
# 1/2 cup tomatoes, halved or quartered
# 1 stalk fresh rosemary, finely chopped
# 3 stems of parsley


For the dressing:

# 2 tomatoes fried in oil, drained
# 2 tbsp red wine / vinegar
# 4-6 tbsp olive oil
# 1 garlic clove
# 1 tsp black salt
# 3/4 tsp black pepper
# 1/2 cup freshly grated cheese
# 1 cup basil leaves


Method:

1. Cook pasta in well-salted water with some olive oil. Drain well reserving 3/4 cups of the pasta cooked water and let cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. For the dressing, combine the tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth.

3. Dry out pot and leave on high heat and then add olive oil until almost starts to boil it. Then add pasta and the pasta water. Add butter, cheese, pepper, salt, tomatoes, asparagus, parsley, rosemary, olives, and pine nuts to the pasta. Add the dressing, basil and cheese and mix being careful not to crush the fresh tomatoes.

4. Toss together and serve in shallow bowls or plates. Garnish with pepper, parsley, basil and cheese. Serve hot or cold.

Here is a recipe of Cold Spinach and Pasta Salad:

Ingredients: 

# 250 gms pasta
# 1/8 cup olive oil / sunflower oil
# 1 cup frozen peas
# 1/4 cup fresh grated cheese
# 1 sliced hard boiled egg
# 3-4 large handfuls baby spinach
# fresh herbs


Method:

1. Cook the pasta in well-salted water and some olive oil. Keep it aside for an hour or two to let it cool properly.

2. Defrost the peas and add to salad bowl. Toss with cold pasta, cheese, lettuce and egg. Garnish with spinach, cheese and herbs

Here is a recipe of Olive Corn Pasta Salad:

Ingredients:

# 250 gms pasta

# 2 tbsp olive oil

# 1/4 cup onion, minced

# 1/2 cup picholine olives

# 1/2 cup corn

# 1 onion for garnishing (optional)

# 1 tsp salt and pepper

Method:

1. Cook pasta in well-salted water with some olive oil in medium heat.

2. Pit the olives and rough chop. Saute the onion in the olive oil until softened. Add the olives, warm through and remove from the heat.

3. Drain the cooked pasta and toss with the onions and olives. Add corn, toss and serve with additional salt and pepper and green onion as garnish.

A spicy pasta salad is loved by adults and children alike and can be prepared anytime without much fuss.


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