Mediterranean Pasta Goes Well With Indians

Penne Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Style Penne Pasta Salad
Penne Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Style Penne Pasta Salad

Macaroni has become as Indian as it can get, however, penne pasta is still considered Italian. If you are fed up with macaroni and mayonnaise combinations for salads, here is a refreshing take on penne pasta. The great thing about Mediterranean cuisine is that it can easily be tweaked to suit the Indian taste and goes well with other foods as well.

I am suggesting something which I like a lot; it goes very well as an all day food.

What do we call it? We call it a  Desi Mediterranean Penne Pasta Salad.

Ingredients:

  • One packet of good quality penne. Choose your penne for size and thickness. They should look like the penne in the photograph above. Don’t go for small, tiny penne.
  • 125 ml extra virgin olive oil.
  • 2 tablespoons of a bold variety of dijon mustard sauce.
  • 50 ml balsamic vinegar.
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
  • 6 good quality desi tomatoes.
  • 1 small broccoli.
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped lengthwise.
  • 250 grams fresh cottage cheese.
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil.
  • 2 tablespoons of black, sliced olives.
  • 2 tablespoons of oregano.
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped, fresh coriander.
  • Salt to taste.

Mediterranean Pasta Recipe

  • Boil your pasta in salt and water till they are firm but not hard (al dente). Overcooking spoils the taste, as well as the look of the dish. Rinse. Keep it aside to cool, or run it under cold water.
  • Chop your vegetables as shown in the photograph, don’t chop the tomatoes, but slice them as shown above.
  • Prepare your sauce by briskly whisking balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and dijon mustard sauce. Add extra virgin olive oil to get the right smoothness to the sauce.
  • Transfer the sauce to a bowl and add vegetables and cottage cheese. Once done, add the pasta to it and mix it lightly.
  • Chill it.

Enjoy!