15 MINS | FEEDS 8-12 AS A SIDE
Tomato & Olive Pasta Salad
Here’s an easy big “feed a crowd” pasta salad that I love for picnics, simple suppers and rolling over into lunchboxes so I can spend less time heating up and boiling over in the kitchen. My Mum used to make me tons of Italian style pasta salads like this as a kid but I’d cry if there was the hint of an olive in there though, now of course, I love them to bits.
METHOD
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the packet instructions. Cook until al dente then drain and rinse very well in cold water to stop it cooking.
While the pasta is cooking, mix the dressing ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and season to taste.
Roughly chop the vegetables and herbs. Blanch the sweetcorn if frozen, if your sweetcorn is fresh then it’s lovely raw or you can blanch it too.
Once the pasta is rinsed quite cool, add to the mixing bowl so you can toss it with the salad dressing which will further cool it then add the salad ingredients and herbs and toss together. Taste for seasoning.
Finish by scattering over the cheese, gently mix some it it through, then sprinkle with extra basil over the top to serve.
INGREDIENTS
4 handfuls ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, diced
2 red or orange peppers, chopped
1 jar of (black kalamata) olives, pitted
1/2 small red onion, very finely sliced
500g of your fave type and shape of small pasta
3 large handfuls fresh or frozen sweetcorn
2 carrots, roughly grated
2 large handfuls basil, finely chop the stems, tear any large leaves
Big shavings of hard cheese like Grana Padano
Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
8+ tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp dried oregano
Pinch of chilli flakes, to taste
Sea salt & pepper, to taste
