56. pasta salad

colourful medley

  There are many versions of pasta salad. Adding vegetables, fruits,meat, fish, different dressings. The number of versions you can make are endless. Its just a matter of letting your imagination run wild. Mine runs wild only when I go shopping at the stores in London as the availability of ingredients are endless. Here in Mombasa I have to stick to what I get. So this is my Mombasa version of pasta salad. Use any type of pasta you like. Its good as a light meal or for lunch.

PASTA SALAD
For 2 as a meal or 4 

1 cup boiled pasta
1 medium tomato or 12 cherry tomatoes
1 carrot peeled and sliced
½ cup cucumber chunks
12 olives black or green or mixed 
½ cup cooked corn
2 tbsp sliced onion
¼ cup cheese cubes, any of your choice

Italian Dressing :
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp coarse pepper powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp honey
½ tsp salt
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp finely chopped parsley

1. If you are using a normal tomato, wash it and cut into quarters.
2. Cut the olives into half.
3. Toast the pine nuts lightly on a pan till they become a bit brownish.
4. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl except for the lettuce leaves.
5. Add lettuce leaves or spinach leaves if you like.

• If you don’t have Italian seasoning then add ½ tsp each of dried rosemary, basil, oregano,garlic powder and onion powder.
•  Feel free to use mayonnaise, salad cream or french dressing.
• You can add coloured pepper if you like. Add vegetables of your choice.
• Instead of cheddar which I used, you can use mozzarella, edam, halloumi etc.

You may want to check out the following :

tropical pasta salad

pasta with roasted vegetable sauce

minestrone soup