Summer Perfect Pasta Salads
Posted on 17 July 2008 by joy
With summer in full swing, your grill must be getting a serious workout! Show your stove top some love with these two pasta salads perfect for summer. The Italian Sausage Pasta Salad is a meal in itself and the Anelletti with Lemon, Cucumber, and Herbs is a perfect side dish to grilled chicken or salmon.
Italian Sausage Pasta Salad
adapted from Bon Appetit August, 1995
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups broccoli florets
1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup dry white wine
5 large plum tomatoes, seeded, diced
1 pound rotini or fusilli pasta, freshly cooked
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup drained chopped black olives
Sauté sausage in heavy large skillet over medium heat until cooked through, breaking up with spoon, about 6 minutes. Transfer sausage and drippings to a bowl. add oil to same skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli, zucchini and wine; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 4 minutes. Add sausage and tomatoes; toss until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add pasta, cheese, olives. Season with salt and pepper.
Anelletti with Lemon Cucumber and Herbs
1 1/2 cup dried anelletti pasta (use orzo if anelletti isn’t available)
2 hot house cucumbers, diced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/ 4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
zest from one lemon
juice from 4 lemons
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Add the diced cucumber, chopped onions and herbs to a bowl. Squeeze the juice from two lemons onto the veggies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the veggies with the pasta and add juice from 2 more lemons and olive oil. Toss and season once again with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
Tags | healthy dinner, pasta, pasta salad, recipe, Summer
