The pasta salad is an unsung hero. It’s never seen on the menus of fancy restaurants, but variations on the theme appear steadfastly on kitchen tables and in the ready-made food sections of supermarkets in a way that suggests people love them, even though no one really talks about them. At its best, a pasta salad is a joy of a meal, because it demands very little of the cook. It can be thrown together in minutes, and in advance, and will then happily sit on a table waiting for people to help themselves. The world needs more pasta salads, I think.
Creamy, spicy courgette and tomato pasta
Prep 5 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
Salt
400g farfalle
500g mixed tomatoes, quartered
1 courgette (275g), trimmed and cut into thin coins
100g pitted kalamata olives, chopped
20g basil, leaves picked
25g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
For the dressing
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for the pasta
1 plum tomato (about 125g), grated
3½ tbsp rose harissa paste – I like Belazu’s
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
4 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp lemon juice, plus the finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1¾ tsp fine sea salt
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta – I add a teaspoon of salt per litre of water. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, until al dente, then drain and dress lightly with olive oil to stop it from sticking.
While the pasta is cooking, mix all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl until well incorporated.
Add in the quartered tomatoes, sliced courgette and chopped olives to the dressing bowl, then tip in the pasta and toss to combine. Stir through the herbs and serve in shallow bowls.
