Dreaming of summer we’ve come up with a list of our favourite quick and easy pasta and rice salads – perfect for lunches, light evening meals, barbeques and picnics with friends and family.
Pasta and Rice Salads: Great to share!
An easy way to make a healthy, nutritionally balanced and tasty meal without having to spend ages cooking is to make cold pasta or rice salads. These are especially easy to make and can be eaten at your dining table as well as with your barbeque in the garden, taken out to the park or to the beach in a big plastic container, without losing flavour or consistency.
You can make your pasta or rice the night before and add your condiments on the day you are eating it, in order for you to have always a batch ready to use in the fridge.
We’ve come up with 5 pasta and rice salads for you to try on your own which are a little different to the standard tomato and mozzarella one. Enjoy!
1) Avocado, Lime and Coriander Pasta
This pasta recipe is very easy to prepare and extremely tasty. Try it on a warm, summer day, brunching in the park!
Ingredients for 4 people
400g Spaghetti
1 Avocado
2 Limes
Fresh Coriander (about a handful)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove
Method
Step 1. Place a pot of water to boil on the stove and cook your spaghetti according to the directions on the packet.
Step 2. While the pasta is cooking prepare your oil condiment by adding the coriander, salt, pepper and lime-juice. Set it all aside until the pasta is ready. In the meantime, dice your avocado and place it in another bowl.
Step 3. Drain your pasta really well and place it in the bowl with the oil condiment, mix thoroughly and then add the diced avocado.
Step 4. Serve your pasta in a salad bowl with a dash of coriander on top and a sprinkle of fresh grated pepper.
2) Very Italian Rice Salad
This rice dish is delicious and very practical! You can prepare the rice the night before and leave it in a bowl with just a little olive oil until you are ready to add the rest of the condiments. In Italy this ever popular salad is made with vegetables in jars known as ‘Condiriso’ which are specifically for adding to rice salads. You should be able to find various veggies/tomatoes etc in oil or vinegar in the supermarkets or good online Italian delis.
Ingredients for 4 people
320g Carnaroli rice
1 can of Tuna
1 Jar of mixed pickled veggies: onions, gherkins, carrots, peppers.
A handful of capers
A handful of black olives
On or two mushrooms and artichokes in oil
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Step 1. Cook your rice in abundant water, drain it, rinse it under cold water and drain well again. Place it in a bowl. You can prepare the rice the night before you need it if you wish and leave it in a bowl mixed with a drop of olive oil to help it not stick together.
Step 2. In a separate bowl mix all your cold condiments and then gradually add the rice.
Step 3. Keep in the fridge but remove at least 30 minutes before you want to eat the salad.
3) Cold Farfalle with Pesto, Speck and Cheddar Cheese
This recipe is perfect for a light summer dinner with friends and you don’t even have to set the table! Just make a huge bowl of farfalle and eat it sitting in the garden!
Ingredients for 4 people
400g Farfalle pasta
1 Jar of Pesto sauce
200g sliced speck or Prosciutto
200g Cheddar or Emmental cheese (cut into small cubes)
Olive oil to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
Step 1. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the packet, drain it and place in a bowl.
Step 2. Add the pesto, the diced speck/prosciutto and the cheese and mix together well. Add salt and pepper and olive oil to taste.
4) Venus Rice Salad With Capers and Sun dried Tomatoes
This gorgeous black rice makes a stunning salad when combined with red sun dried tomatoes! It smells wonderful whilst cooking and contains 4 times as much iron as normal rice – it even has anti-ageing properties!!
Ingredients for 4 people
320g Black Venus rice
200g Salted capers
300g sun dried tomatoes
A few leaves of fresh basil
Olive oil to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
Step 1. Cook your rice in plenty of water, drain it and rinse it under cold water. Place it in a bowl. This can be prepared the night before you need it and left in a bowl mixed with a drop olive oil to help it not stick together.
Step 2. Place your condiments in a separate bowl but first rinse your capers to eliminate the excessive salt and if you are using dried tomatoes place them in a container with one or two spoons of olive oil for a few minutes to soften them up a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add the farfalle.
Serve by garnishing with a few leaves of fresh basil.
5) Summer Penne Rigate with grilled artichokes, Prosciutto di Parma and Red Onions
Ingredients for 4 people
400g Penne Rigate pasta
200g grilled artichokes
4 thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma ham
1 fresh Tropea red onion or a jar of preserved small Tropea onions
Method
Step 1. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the packet, drain it and place it in a bowl. Keep aside one cup of cooking water to moisten your pasta later if needed.
Step 2. In a separate bowl add your grilled artichokes, which you will have previously prepared or alternately you can easily use the ready made ones. Thinly slice your onions and add to the bowl.
Step 3. Serve the pasta by placing a slice of Prosciutto di Parma in a small bowl and adding the pasta inside. Decorate with slices of onion and half an artichoke per bowl.
These pasta and rice salads are great for easy meals and days out. Try your own variations by adding ingredients of choice to the recipes. You can find some suggestions by looking at our pantry ingredients, which are perfect for these kind of dishes!