Italian Summer Pasta Salad
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 min.
This light, refreshing pasta salad can be made ahead without any loss of flavor, just make sure that the ratio pasta-veggies is balanced. The dish is easily transformed into a vegetarian fare by omitting the bacon rashers.
A nice crusty bread and a chilled rosé are superb match.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
- juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 125-175ml (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 250 gr (1/2 lbs) farfalle pasta
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to toss pasta
- 250gr (1/2 lbs) bacon rashers cut into bite size pieces
- 250gr (1/2 lbs) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 250gr (1/2 lbs) green beans, cut in bite size pieces
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Reserve half of basil, parsley and coriander leaves. They will be added to the salad whole.
First we prepare the herb dressing. Blend the other half of the herbs with the juice and zest of the lemons. Add the mustard. Start drizzling the olive oil while whisking constantly until well combined. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions or until "al dente" not mushy. Drain and immediately toss pasta with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to prevent it sticking together. Set aside to cool.
Bring water to boil. Add salt and the green beans. Cook them until tender to the bite. Drain and run them under cold water to retain the color. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, fry bacon rashers until they are crisp. Set bacon aside to drain on paper towels.
To serve, gently toss the pasta with the herb dressing, add green beans, cherry tomatoes, bacon and the whole basil, parsley, coriander leaves and Parmesan. Taste for salt and pepper and gently toss until well combined. If you plan to serve it next day, check the herb dressing again. Pasta absorbs a lot of liquid and salad should not be heavy or mushy. Add a bit more dressing if necessary.