A Truly Reliable Summer Pasta Salad
Forget everything you thought you knew about lacklustre pasta salads. This recipe provides a masterclass in creating a vibrant, flavourful dish that holds its own at any lunch or picnic.
There are, I’m afraid, a great many sad pasta salads in the world. Often they are either claggy and overdressed or, conversely, bland and uninteresting. The problem is that people tend to treat it as a throw-it-all-in affair, but a truly good pasta salad, one that is vibrant, fresh and full of flavour, requires a little more thought and, crucially, the right technique.
This recipe is the culmination of much testing to overcome the common pitfalls. The secret, you will find, lies not in a complicated list of ingredients, but in the method. It’s about how you cook the pasta, when you dress it, and how you combine the components to ensure every single bite is as good as the last. It is, in short, a blueprint for pasta salad perfection.
Once you have mastered this basic formula, you will have the confidence to vary the ingredients with the seasons. It’s a wonderfully versatile dish, perfect for picnics, light lunches, or as a side dish at a barbecue. This is the recipe that will restore your faith in pasta salad for good.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Dressing the pasta while it is still warm is the crucial step. The warm pasta absorbs the vinaigrette's flavour deeply, seasoning it from within and preventing a bland result.
- Using a simple, sharp vinaigrette made with good quality olive oil and lemon juice cuts through the starchiness of the pasta, keeping the dish light and refreshing.
- Adding the crisp vegetables, cheese, and fresh herbs at the very end, along with the remaining dressing, ensures they stay vibrant and crunchy, avoiding the sogginess that plagues so many pasta salads.
Ingredients
- 400g dried fusilli pasta
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 a cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
- 1 small red onion, very finely sliced
- 200g block of feta cheese, crumbled
- A small handful of fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
- For the Vinaigrette:
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed to a paste with a little salt (optional)
- 1/2 tsp caster sugar
Equipment Needed
Large saucepan · Colander · Large mixing bowl · Sharp knife · Chopping board · Small jam jar with a lid
Step-by-Step Instructions
- First, make the dressing. In a clean jam jar with a lid, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients: the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic (if using), and sugar. Season with a little salt and pepper, fasten the lid tightly and shake vigorously until emulsified. Set aside.
- Next, prepare your vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, and dice the deseeded cucumber. To get the red onion beautifully fine, I recommend slicing it as thinly as you possibly can. Place all the prepared vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
- Now for the pasta. Bring a large, deep saucepan of generously salted water to a fast, rolling boil. Add the fusilli and cook according to the packet instructions until it is 'al dente' – this is very important. It must retain a slight bite and not be soft or mushy.
- The moment the pasta is cooked, drain it well in a colander, giving it a shake to remove excess water. Do not rinse it. Immediately tip the hot pasta into the bowl with the vegetables.
- Pour over about two-thirds of the prepared dressing and toss everything together thoroughly. The heat from the pasta will help it absorb the dressing and will also gently soften the onion.
- Leave the salad to cool to room temperature, which will take about 30-40 minutes. Do not be tempted to put it in the fridge to speed this up, as it can make the pasta texture hard.
- Once completely cool, add the crumbled feta and the chopped fresh herbs. Pour over the remaining dressing, toss gently one last time, and check for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Serve at room temperature.
Delia's Notes from the Kitchen
The single most important secret to a good pasta salad is to dress the pasta the moment it's drained and still warm. It truly makes all the difference, allowing the pasta to become a flavourful ingredient in its own right, rather than just a carrier for everything else. Also, please do not serve it straight from the ice-cold fridge; allow it to sit for 20 minutes to let the flavours come alive.
How to Store & Reheat
This salad is best eaten on the day it is made. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Please note, the pasta will firm up when chilled. For the best flavour and texture, remove it from the fridge at least 20-30 minutes before serving to allow it to come back to room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this pasta salad ahead of time?
Yes, you can. For the best results, cook and dress the pasta as directed and allow it to cool. Store it in the fridge, covered. Prepare the vegetables and feta and store them in a separate container. When you're ready to serve, combine everything with the fresh herbs and the remaining dressing.
What is the best shape of pasta to use for pasta salad?
Shapes with plenty of nooks and crannies are ideal as they trap the dressing and small bits of ingredients. Fusilli (spirals), penne (tubes), and farfalle (bows) are all excellent choices.
Why does my pasta salad sometimes taste bland?
This is usually because the pasta itself is unseasoned. It's vital to salt your cooking water generously – it should taste like the sea. The second reason is not dressing the pasta while it's warm, which is the key moment for it to absorb flavour.
Can I use a creamy dressing instead?
You can, but a vinaigrette keeps the salad much lighter and fresher. If you prefer a creamy dressing, I would suggest a base of yoghurt and mayonnaise with some lemon juice and herbs, but be aware it will be a much richer dish.
How do I stop my cucumber from making the salad watery?
The key is to peel and deseed it. The watery seeds are the main culprit. For extra crunch, you can dice the cucumber, sprinkle it with a little salt, and leave it in a sieve for 15 minutes to draw out excess water before adding it to the salad.