Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is a very versatile and refreshing dish, perfect for summer days or as a meal to take to the office. Here is a basic recipe that you can customize according to your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 250 g of short pasta (for example, bow ties, fusilli or penne)
• 150 g of cherry tomatoes
• 100 g of mozzarella (or feta if you prefer)
• Pitted black olives (quantity to taste)
• Fresh basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water following the package instructions for al dente cooking. Once cooked, drain it and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it quickly.
2. In the meantime, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half or quarters, depending on the size.
3. Cut the mozzarella into cubes or, if using feta, crumble it.
4. Drain the black olives well and, if necessary, slice them into rounds or leave them whole, according to your preference.
5. In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta with the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, and hand-torn fresh basil.
6. Dress everything with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. If you like, you can add a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to make the salad more refreshing and slightly tangy.
7. Mix all the ingredients well so that the flavors combine.

Before serving, allow the pasta salad to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour, so it will become even more flavorful.

For a truly Italian touch, you might add drained oil-packed tuna, capers, or replace the black olives with Taggiasca olives. If you like bold flavors, you might add Genovese pesto as dressing to the pasta.

Curiosity

Pasta salad is a dish that lends itself to countless regional variations in Italy, with many adding ingredients like shredded carrots, corn, arugula, or diced speck. The key is to maintain the balance of flavors and the freshness of the dish.