Directions
The beauty of summer is the abundance of vegetables that we have at our disposal. You just need a few ingredients for a fabulous vegan dish, especially if it’s cold pasta with vegetable sauce, olives and mint pesto.
I know cold pasta salads are tricky and to make them quickly you fall in the trap of the nasty duo of wurstel and cheese: the last resort for those who don’t want to cook in these scorching days.
But there are a thousand ways to make a delicious cold pasta: a good starting point are the olives, which will add a touch of balsamic flavor.
The second “secret ingredients” are aromatic herbs: don’t be afraid to experiment with a new, refreshing sauce like the one we are going to prepare, a simple mint. But you can use thyme, marjoram, of course, basil and arugula too. If you need some more proteins add a handful of almonds.
Today’s recipe is a simple pasta, seasoned only with vegetables, but the stark contrast between the sweetness of the peppers and the balsamic flavor of the olives (from Gaeta would be great) works wonders.
Then add a mix of zucchini, eggplants or tomatoes, that’s all, you don’t need expensive ingredients, just be seasonal.
Ingredients for making the cold pasta with vegetable sauce, olives and mint pesto
4 servings
- 380 grams of pasta, Sardinian gnocchi are the top
- 1 eggplant
- 300 grams of zucchini
- 80 grams of Gaeta olives, but also Kalamata are perfect
- 300 grams of yellow pepper
- salt and pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 70 grams of parsley
- 50 grams of mint leaves
- 80 grams of almonds: optional
- 40 grams of extra virgin olive oil
How to make the cold pasta salad with Gaeta olives, mixed vegetables and mint pesto
Wash all vegetables.
Cut eggplant into slices and coarse salt for 1 hour, then rinse and dry with some kitchen paper.
Cook the eggplant slices on the grill, the chop and seasoned with oil, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of cumin if you like.
Crush garlic and place it in a pan with 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Let it cook slowly for 4 minutes.
Peel the peppers with a potato peeler, cut into strips or cubes and put in the pan, season with salt, pepper and a drop of wine. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add zucchini, cut into slices and cook for another 5 minutes, then season with a sprinkling of parsley.
Add eggplant to the sauce.
Let’s pit olives, keeping 4 aside, then coarsely chop and throw them in the pan with the vegetables.
Put mint in a cup, add 5 tablespoons of oil and blend, if you have time you can use a knife.
Cook pasta not too “al dente”, drain and cool under the tap.
Season pasta with the mint pesto and vegetables, a pinch of pepper and a drizzle of oil.
Chop the remaining olives and distribute them in the dishes to give a touch of extra flavor.
And there you have the ultimate cold pasta salad, a simple recipe that can bring joy to your table.
What wine goes well with cold pasta salad with Gaeta olives, mixed vegetables and mint pesto?
Nothing fancy here, just add some bubbles like Champagne or Prosecco to the mix and you’ll be fine.
If you want to pair a cocktail, Mojito is always welcome when you have mint on your plate.
