Mediterranean pasta salad
The Mediterranean pasta salad is a fresh dish, prepared with simple and light ingredients such as cherry tomatoes, tuna, and mozzarella.
- Easy
- 17 min
- Kcal 566
Italian pasta salad
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Prep time: 20 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Serving: 4 people
- Cost: Very low
- Note plus 2 hours of rest in the fridge
PRESENTATION
Among the most popular dishes during the hot summer days, and not only in Italy, there are certainly pasta salads: fresh, colorful and full of genuine and tasty ingredients, they help us to better face the heat of this season. The Italian pasta salad, for example, embodies a mix of typically Mediterranean flavors - fried eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil - enriched with cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese and tasty cooked ham. A nutritious and delicious dish to be enjoyed for a lunch break at work, to take to a picnic in a cooler bag, or to serve for a summer dinner.
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INGREDIENTS
- Fusilli pasta 11 oz (320 g)
- Eggplant 12 oz (340 g)
- Cherry tomatoes 12 oz (340 g)
- Mozzarella cheese 7 oz (200 g)
- Cooked ham 4 oz (120 g) - cut into cubes
- Basil 5 leaves
- Salt 1 pinch
- For frying
- Peanut seed oil 2 cups (0.5 l)
Preparation
How to prepare Italian pasta salad
To prepare the Italian pasta salad, start with the eggplants: wash them, dry them and cut them into cubes about half an inch (1 cm) thick.
Heat peanut oil in a frying pan; when it is very hot, dip the eggplant cubes a few at a time and fry them for 3-4 minutes, stirring them from time to time. When they are golden, drain them with a slotted spoon, let them dry on a sheet of towel paper and salt them lightly. Keep them aside.
Heat plenty of lightly salted water in a large pot and when it comes to boil, add the pasta. Cook it for a couple of minutes less than the time indicated on the package, drain it and dress it with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well and let it cool.
In the meantime, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into pieces. Season them with a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped basil leaves. Then add them to the pasta.
Cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes and do the same with the ham. Add the ham, the mozzarella and the fried eggplants to the pasta and stir well to mix all the ingredients perfectly.
Leave the Italian pasta salad to rest in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before serving.
How to store
How to store
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