Pasta Salad in Black Olive Dressing

08 Jun Pasta Salad in Black Olive Dressing

PASTA SALAD WITH OLIVE DRESSING

Pasta salads are sure-fire winners on the party table, but with expensive ingredients and uncommon methods, plus the Indians’ peculiar inability to do al-dente, they’re tricky little blighters. Why this recipe may interest you, is that I’ve tried to substitute a few of the la-di-da ingredients with local Indian stuff you’ll find in your fridges, without compromising on the structure and substance of the salad itself. It’s full of nutritious veggies, yet, the kids love it. Try it as an entrée or as a side with a grill.

Serves – 4

Prep time – 30 minutes

Cook time – 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS – PASTA:

Fussili pasta – 250 gms (whole-wheat is great) Use any other pasta if you like, but Fussili rocks

Bay leaf – 1

Capsicum – 1 Red + 1 Yellow

Sunflower Oil – 2.5 tbsp

Olive Oil – 2.5 tbsp

Eggplant – 1 medium sized, chopped into inch-large cubes

Garlic – 3 cloves, crushed

Zucchini – 2, thickly sliced

Tomato – 2 large & ripe ones, chopped into inch-large cubes

Fresh Parsley – 0.25 cup, coarsely chopped

Pepper – 1 tsp

Paneer – 150 gms, crumbled (Original recipe requires Feta cheese)

INGREDIENTS – DRESSING

Black Olives – 8 to 10 large ones, pitted. Use any of the marinated bottles.

Olive Oil – 0.4 cup

Balsamic Vinegar – 2 tbsp

Salt & Pepper

PREPARATION

1. PASTA – Boil water in a large pan with bay leaf and a few drops (1 tbsp) of sunflower oil. When done, add fussili and cook 10-12 minutes on medium flame or until al-dente. Drain, spread into a single layer on a large tray, refrigerate uncovered.
2. CAPSICUM – Place under a hot grill until skin blisters & begins to blacken. Cool, then cut half length-wise, removing seeds, skin, & white membrane.
3. ZUCCHINI – Steam 1-2 minutes till tender. Rinse under cold water, keep aside.
4. GRILLED VEGGIES – Add rest of the sunflower oil & olive oil in a frying pan. Add garlic, then chopped eggplant, and fry under high flame quickly, tossing frequently, till browned.
5. BLACK OLIVE DRESSING – Buzz olives lightly in a food processor, then add oil gradually, till they’re well mixed. Now add vinegar, salt, pepper, and buzz 2 seconds.

PLATING

Combine pasta, capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, tomato, parsley, and pepper in a serving bowl, or spoon on to individual plates. Garnish with crumbled paneer / feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing.