Summer Pasta Salad with Mixed Olives

Summer Pasta Salad with Mixed Olives

Ingredients

  • 400g fusilli style Italian pasta
  • A large handful of rocket leaves
  • 2 x ripe but firm avocados
  • A handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 x small red onion
  • A tub of Buffet Olives Mixed Olives in a Thyme and Basil Oil
  • Good quality feta cheese (roughly broken apart and quantity according to taste)
  • Ground salt and pepper to taste
  • Good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Ciabatta bread (sliced)
  • 1 x large garlic clove (peeled and cut in half)

Method

  1. Cook the pasta according to taste, quickly drain it under cold water (to stop the cooking process) and mix in a couple of swigs of olive oil. Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature making sure that you give it a stir every now and again to prevent it from sticking together (add a little more oil if needed).
  2. In the meantime, peel, stone and cut the avocados into wedges, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, peel and very finely slice the red onion and wash and spin dry the rocket leaves.
  3. Once all your prep has been done, and the pasta has cooled, you can start assembling the salad.
  4. Combine the pasta, avocados, tomatoes, red onion, rocket leaves and mixed olives (including the thyme and basil oil left in the tub) into a large glass serving bowl.
  5. Gently mix everything together so that the oil from the olives is nicely integrated into the salad.
  6. Taste and season with salt and pepper according to your tastes. You can also add a little more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice if you would like more dressing.
  7. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the salad.
  8.  Lightly toast your ciabatta bread slices and as soon as they come out (while still hot), rub one side with the cut clove of garlic according to taste.
  9. Serve the salad on individual plates with a slice or two of the toasted bread.
  10. Enjoy with a glass of Chenin Blanc.

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