Make this salad when cherry tomatoes are in season and at their sweetest, then serve it heat for a summer season lunch (sunshine non-obligatory). It’s finest to make use of ripe hass avocados, as they’ve such a creamy texture and collapse into the nice and cozy pasta. You possibly can all the time pack this salad to tackle a picnic or eat any leftovers for a workday lunch.
Serves 4
olive oil 4 tbsp
crimson onions 2, thinly sliced into half-moons
garlic 4 cloves, finely chopped
cherry tomatoes 300g, halved
avocados 2, flesh cubed
lemon grated zest of 1 and juice of ½
black kalamata olives 60g, stoned and halved
dried orzo 250g
parsley a bunch, leaves picked and finely chopped
mint a bunch, leaves picked and finely chopped
basil a bunch, leaves picked and torn
parmesan 30g, finely grated
pine nuts 3 tbsp, toasted
Gently heat the olive oil in a big saucepan, add the onion and garlic and scatter over a big pinch of salt. Stir all the pieces collectively, cowl with a lid and cook dinner on a medium-low warmth for five minutes. Take the lid off, stir once more, and cook dinner uncovered for an additional 5 minutes. Flip the warmth as much as medium, add the tomatoes and cook dinner for 3 minutes, stirring sometimes. When the tomatoes soften and begin to burst slightly, take the pan off the warmth and set to 1 facet to chill barely.
Place the avocado in a big bowl and toss it within the zest and lemon juice. Add the tomato combination and the olives and stir all the pieces collectively, then put aside when you cook dinner the pasta.
Deliver a big pan of water to the boil and season it effectively with desk salt. Cook dinner the orzo in accordance with packet directions till al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the avocados and tomatoes, together with all of the chopped herbs and the parmesan.
Combine effectively and season to style with sea salt and freshly floor black pepper.
Switch the salad to a big bowl, ideally set outdoors for a summer season lunch, and scatter over a handful of toasted pine nuts.
VARIATION For a vegan model, exchange the parmesan with 3 tablespoons of dietary yeast or 3 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts.
From Pasta Masterclass by Mateo Zielonka (Quadrille , £26). To order a duplicate for £22.88 go to guardianbookshop.com
