In Russia, pasta is usually used as a side dish for main (meat, fish) dishes. Meanwhile, in other countries, they are often one of the components of salads and snacks. Salads with pasta are very tasty and satisfying, they can be served as an independent dish. Such an appetizer can be taken to work as a snack or on a picnic. In addition, salads are convenient in that, unlike other identical dishes, they can be seasoned in advance, which will not spoil their taste. From the presented material you will learn several interesting recipes for salads with pasta, about the ingredients included in their composition, the calorie content of dishes.
Some recommendations
For cooking, it is better to use not too long pasta: fusilli, shells, bows (farfale), short pasta, penne. In this case, they will be the same size as the other components of the salad, which means that the finished dish will have a more beautiful appearance, it will be more convenient to eat.
Please note: boiled pasta should be seasoned immediately, preferably with olive oil, it will be quickly absorbed into hot pasta, which will prevent gluing of the cooled pasta in the future and give it a very appetizing look.
Paste with a neutral taste is a hearty basis of salad, and the rest of the products can be chosen for every taste. It is perfect for meat delicacies, smoked and salted fish, various seafood and, of course, fresh vegetables.
We recommend adding spicy pepper, spicy fresh notes to the salad with pasta, otherwise it may turn out to be boring and bland. We recommend using the following range of products: olives, capers, spicy fresh herbs, including thyme, basil, marjoram. A correctly chosen dressing with a pronounced taste will give a completely different taste to the salad with pasta. Do not forget about cheese, which can also add a twist.
Italian salads
These salads are especially popular in Italy. They are tasty, satisfying and quite simple to prepare. The combination of ingredients in Italian salads with pasta creates an unrivaled taste. We have prepared for you a selection of several rather interesting recipes.
Minestrone Salad
We advise you to prepare a salad, which includes a large number of fresh vegetables. To work, we need:
- 4 tbsp olive. oils;
- 250 g penne pasta;
- freshly ground pepper (black);
- 1.25 Art. fresh corn kernels;
- 1 pc. zucchini (young), carrots, onions;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- coarse salt;
- 20 g of green beans;
- 420 g cannellini beans;
- 500 g of multi-colored tomatoes;
- 2 tbsp. l balsamic vinegar.
Cooking technology
- For salad, boil the paste in the traditional way to the state of al dente, drain the water and cool.
- In a stewpan, heat two large tablespoons of olive oil, fry chopped garlic over low heat over 2 minutes, add carrots chopped into small cubes and fry for another 4 minutes, until tender.
- Add the beans, chopped into small pieces and small cubes of zucchini, and corn. Fry, stir constantly for about 10-15 minutes, salt, pepper, transfer to a bowl and let cool.
- Add the rest of the olive oil, canned beans, vinegar, pasta, finely chopped tomatoes to the vegetables.
- Season with spices, mix and serve.
The recipe is designed for 4 servings, the calorie content of one is 613 kcal.
Salad with pasta and tuna
We offer to prepare a salad of Italian cuisine. In order to do this, prepare the following components:
- 200 g butterfly paste (farfale);
- 1 sweet red pepper;
- 100 g of tomatoes dried in oil;
- 1 can of tuna (canned.) In its own juice;
- 10 basil leaves;
- 50 g of arugula;
- 4 tbsp olive. oils;
- 200 g mozzarella;
- salt, black pepper to taste.
How to cook
- Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds, wrap in foil greased with olive oil, bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 220 degrees.
- Boil the pasta in salted water until tender (preferably al dente), cool, rinsing under cold water.
- Cooking dressing from olive oil, basil and salt, whisk with a blender for about 20 seconds.
- Baked peppers, dried tomatoes, cut into strips, and mozzarella into cubes.
- We combine the above ingredients with tuna and pasta, season, mix well.
- Add ruccola just before serving so that it remains crispy.
The calorie content of this salad is 591 kcal per serving, 4 of the resulting ingredients come out.
Recipe tip
Al dente in Italian means “a tooth” and indicates the state of the pasta when it is ready, but at the same time quite firm and not boiled. When cooking, for example, porcelain, when cracking properly cooked pasta, the tooth should feel resistance. In order to achieve such a result, it is necessary to strictly observe the cooking time indicated on the package, and, in addition, constantly try the pasta to taste, the bill in this matter is seconds.
Ham, Vegetables and Cheese Salad
Very tasty and simple salad with available ingredients. Just say that its calorie content is quite high - 841 kcal. Components:
- 300 g ham;
- 2 pcs. sweet pepper and tomatoes;
- 400 g pasta;
- 300 grams of canned corn;
- 200 g of cheese;
- mayonnaise to taste.
Spiral pasta or horns are most suitable for this salad with pasta (this is clearly visible in the photo). Boil them and let cool. Tomatoes and peppers are cut into cubes, ham - into thin slices, grated cheese on a coarse grater. We connect all components together and season with mayonnaise.
Warm pasta salad
Such dishes are served not only in the cold, but also in the warm. To prepare a salad, you should take the following ingredients:
- 250 g of cherry tomatoes;
- 400 g orecchi or fusilli;
- a bunch of basil;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 150 ml of olive oil;
- 30 ml of white vinegar wine.
Paste should be chosen according to the criterion so that it is easily soaked with garlic and vinegar. For this recipe for a salad with pasta (you can see the dish in the photo), it is better to take fusilli or orechet.
First you need to prepare the filling: chop the basil coarsely, chop the garlic, cut the tomatoes into halves. Put tomatoes in a bowl, add garlic, olive oil and wine vinegar to them, leave to marinate. In a large saucepan, boil water and cook orecchiette for 8-10 minutes. The pasta should be thoroughly dried and immediately mixed with tomatoes, at the last moment add basil and immediately serve the dish. The secret of this salad is that it is mixed with the filling before the pasta cools. It is in this case that it absorbs all the aromas and juices of fresh marinade.
Eggplant Salad with Pasta
This salad has a bright taste, contains many vitamins and is full of aromas. Take the following ingredients:
- 1 eggplant;
- 6 ripe tomatoes;
- 200 g of paste (preferably from whole grain flour);
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard;
- 450 g canned red peppers (not hot);
- 1 tbsp capers;
- a bunch of leaf parsley (fresh);
- 50 g of arugula leaves;
- 1 tbsp pine nuts;
- a small pod of celery;
- Pecorino cheese (another to taste);
- sea salt;
- pepper;
- lemon;
- olive oil;
- red wine sauce.
Cooking recommendations
Boil the pasta (pasta) according to the instructions indicated on the package. We cut the eggplants in half and cut into medium pieces, about 2 cm. We put them in a colander, sprinkle with salt, mix so that it is evenly distributed, let stand a little. Control the amount of salt, otherwise the salad will be re-salted.
After the pasta is cooked, drain the water through a colander, rinse a little with water and combine with a small amount of oil, then place in a deep bowl and let cool.
Cut the tomatoes into halves and remove all the seeds with a spoon. Place the pan on the stove at high temperature. We spread tomatoes on it with the central part down. Pour cold water to the middle of the tomatoes, season with salt, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Using forceps, gently remove the skin from the tomatoes, rub them into a paste and reduce the heat. Boil for 25-30 minutes, until the mass thickens.
We wash the eggplants in cold water and dry them with a paper towel. Place a large frying pan on a stove with medium temperature and pour olive oil. Fry eggplant for about 5-10 minutes.
Pour a large spoonful of red wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons into a deep bowl. olive oil, add mustard, a little pepper and salt. Remove the seeds from the olives, chop coarsely and add to the bowl. We send capers and fresh tomato sauce there, then we make chilled pasta, mix it well with dressing, put it in a large dish or salad bowl. Dried peppers are coarsely chopped into strips and sprinkle with them a salad, add fried eggplant slices, spread arugula leaves and finely chopped celery on top of the salad. We cut parsley quite large and put it together with pine nuts in a salad. Add lemon juice, sprinkle with olive oil, and sprinkle with grated cheese on top. Salad with pasta and eggplant can be served.