Like a Greek salad, but with pasta added in. It makes a great lunch or lunchbox and is good for using up odds and ends in the fridge.
Pasta Salad – serves 4
200g pasta – use what ever shape you have
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
75g pitted black olives, halved
½ small cucumber, quartered lengthways then sliced
½ a red onion, thinly sliced
100g feta cheese
Cook the pasta in lots of salty boiling water according to the timings on the packet.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano and some seasoning into a mixing bowl and mix well to make a dressing.
Drain the pasta in a colandar and leave to cool for a few minutes. Tip the cooked pasta into the mixing bowl and toss to coat in the dressing.
Tip in the tomatoes, olives, cucumber and red onion, then crumble in the feta cheese. Gently mix everything together, then serve or put in the fridge for lunchboxes tomorrow.
(Original recipe by Cassie Best in BBC Good Food Magazine, July 2022.)
We don’t stop making soups in the summer, and in fact we often need them to use up bits and pieces. At the moment that means the courgettes that are growing faster than we can eat them. Whatever the excuse this is bursting with summery flavours and a joy to eat, especially outside on a hot summer afternoon.
Summer Minestrone Soup – serves 6
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling over to serve
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 courgettes, finely chopped (use green and yellow if you have them)
70g diced smoked pancetta
1 large clove of garlic, finely grated
½ tsp dried oregano
400g tin cannellini beans
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1.2 litres vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
70g fideua pasta (or other small pasta)
100g kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped
a handful of basil leaves, to serve
finely grated Parmesan, to serve
Warm the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, courgette and pancetta. Season well with salt and pepper and cook gently for about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and oregano and cook for another minute, then add the beans, tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, vegetable stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 30 minutes.
Add the pasta and kale and cook for a final 10 minutes.
Taste for seasoning, then serve in warm bowls, with some basil and Parmesan over the top.
We don’t think we’ve ever roasted kohlrabi before but they have it in our local farm shop so we thought we’d give it a go. We mostly see it raw in salads but have to say it is absolutely lovely when roasted. The recipe is simple though there are a few bits to it. Try the roasted kohlrabi if nothing else.
Wine Suggestion: A medium bodied, pure fruited red like Olga Raffault’s Chinon les Barnabés which has a charming perfume and an array of purple and red fruits sitting lightly on top of a deep core. For this dish you need that juxtaposition of purity and depth to play alongside the earthy range of flavours.
Barley with roasted kholrabi, tomatoes & watercress salsa – serves 4 as a main
4 small kohlrabi
4 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and finely chopped (optional)
140ml olive oil, plus a bit extra to drizzle
1 large head of garlic, cut a slice off the top to expose the cloves, plus 4 extra cloves, crushed
300g ripe cherry tomatoes
300g pearl barley
2-3 banana shallots, finely sliced
2 tsp caraway seeds
5 strips of lemon zest and 2 tbsp juice, plus some wedges to serve
1 red Scotch bonnet chilli
3 tbsp tomato purée
150ml dry white wine
100g watercress
60ml double cream (optional if you don’t want dairy but nice if you do)
Preheat the oven to 190C fan.
Trim and peel the kohlrabi, then cut them into 8 wedges (more if you have any big ones). Put them into a large bowl and toss with the anchovies, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, ½ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper. Spread them out over a tray lined with baking paper.
Put the whole garlic bulb onto a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb tightly in the bulb, then place it in the corner of the baking tray with the kohlrabi. Put the tray in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.
Turn the kohlrabi pieces over, then add the tomatoes to the tray and continue to roast for another 20 minutes, or until the kohlrabi wedges are soft and deep brown and the tomatoes are blistered. Turn the oven off, then leave the tray in there to keep warm.
While the vegetables are cooking, put the barley into a medim-sized saucepan and cover with lots of cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes or until almost cooked but still with a bite. Drain and set aside.
When the vegetables are cooked, remove the garlic bulb in the foil. Put a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat with 50ml olive oil, the roasted garlic, remaining 2 cloves of crushed garlic, the shallots, caraway seeds, lemon peel strips, Scotch bonnet, and 2½ tsp salt. Gently fry for 12 minutes, stirring, until the shallots are soft and golden brown.
Add the tomato purée and cook for 30 seconds before adding the wine, 500ml of water and lots of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 7 minutes, then add the cooked barley and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Discard the Scotch bonnet and the lemon peel.
Whizz half the watercress, the lemon juice, 60ml of olive oil and ¼ tsp of salt in the small bowl of a food processor until smooth.
Transfer the barley to a large serving bowl. Drizzle over the watercress salsa and cream over the barley and gently swirl them in. Top with the rest of the watercress, then the roasted kohlrabi and tomatoes. Serve with extra lemon wedges.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2020.)
We love this fresh salad, the perfect side dish for so many summer dishes. You can crumble some feta over the top before serving if you like.
Fattoush – serves 4
FOR THE SALAD:
2 flatbreads or pitta breads (about 120g in total)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 small Persian cucumbers or 1 small regular cucumber
4 tomatoes (about 450g in total)
75g Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
10g mint leaves, finely chopped
20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
75g feta cheese (optional)
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 tbsp sumac
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6.
Toss the pitta breads in the olive oil, then bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes or until very crisp. Leave to cool then snap into chunky pieces.
Cut the cumcumbers in half and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Chop into 1-2cm pieces and put into a salad bowl.
Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds, chop the flesh into pieces the same size as the cucumber and add the bowl with the crispy pieces of bread. Add the lettuce and herbs.
Mix the dressing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad, then use your hands to toss everything together. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then crumble over some feta if you like.
(Original recipe from Zaitoun by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2018.)
This is Meera Sodha’s fresh take on Matar Paneer, which is usually a richer dish. Delicious with warm naan breads and plain yoghurt, this version could easily become a regular favourite.
Fresh Matar Paneer – serves 4 as a mainor more as a side with other dishes
rapeseed oil
550g hard paneer, cut into 1.5cm cubes
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
200g green beans
200g mangetout
200g frozen peas (defrosted), or you can use fresh of course if you have them
1 red chilli, finely sliced to serve
Heat a couple of tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the panner over a medium heat until browned and crisp all over, then remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Heat another tbsp of oil in the pan, then add the garlic and stir-fry for a couple of minutes (make sure the frying pan isn’t too hot when you add the garlic or it will burn). Add the tomatoes and cook for about 6 minutes or until just turning jammy. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, chilli powder and turmeric, then stir for another minute before taking off the heat.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add salt. Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes, then add the mangetout and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 1 more minute, then drain and leave to steam dry.
Heat the sauce, then stir in the paneer. When both are hot, stir in the veg. Sprinkle over the sliced red chilli and serve.
(Original recipe from Fresh India by Meera Sodha, Fig Tree, 2016.)
These are delicious and perfect with some crusty bread or flatbreads for scooping. Do buy the fancy butter beans in a glass jar if you can. You can make this up to a day ahead and the flavours will improve.
Wine Suggestion: We really like this dish with a nice, chilled Vermentino. Tonight’s choice, the Poggio ai Ginepri Bianco from Tenuta Argentiera in Bolgheri. Long and vibrant with a rich citrus and pear flavour and layers of texture and wild sage to finish.
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 mild red chillies, finely chopped, including the seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds, finely crushed with a pestle and mortar
3 preserved lemons (80g), inner parts discarded and skin finely sliced
1 ½ tbsp roughly chopped thyme leaves
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 tbsp tomato purée
170ml olive oil
1 jar of butter beans (700g)
2 large vine tomatoes, roughly grated and skins discarded
Put the garlic, chillies, coriander, preserved lemon, thyme, rosemary, tomato purée, olive oil and 1¼ tsp of flaked salt into a medium sauté pan on a medium-low heat and stir together. Heat gently for 25 minutes, or until very fragrant but not browned at all. Turn the heat to low if the oil gets to hot.
Stir in the butter beans, then turn the heat up to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for at least an hour, or longer if you can.
Meanwhile, mix the grated tomato with ⅓ tsp of flaked sea salt and plenty of black pepper.
Spoon the butter beans into a shallow bowl and spoon over the grated tomato, mixing it in in places. Then serve with crusty bread or flatbreads.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2021.)
Wine Suggestion: Something red from Italy’s Adriatic coast, but nothing too big or complex as this is a fun, casual dish! For us Umani Ronchi’s Rosso Conero Serrano, a Montepulciano – Sangiovese blend that has a medium body, fresh and bright cherry fruits and a gentle, earthy tannins was the ticket.
Prawn spaghetti with tomato, chilli & basil – serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
150g baby plum tomatoes
150ml white wine
200g spaghetti
a handful of basil leaves
225g raw peeled prawns
a generous knob of butter
Warm the oil in a large frying pan, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until starting to soften, then add the white wine and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions in lots of very salty water, then drain but reserve a cup of the cooking water.
Add the basil and prawns to the tomatoes, season well, and cook until the prawns turn pink. Stir in the butter and spaghetti and a splash of pasta cooking water if you need to loosen the sauce a bit. Toss it all together and serve.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, March 2020.)
Do buy good quality tuna for this, packed in olive oil. We like Ortiz which is widely available and excellent quality. We’d also highly recommend Shines’ Wild Irish Tuna, one of our local companies based in Donegal. We have tried loads of their tinned and jarred fish and they are all top quality.
Wine Suggestion: We chose a lighter red to match this dish from the Marches in central Italy. The Umani Ronchi San Lorenzo Rosso Conero has style and panache and the medium body, morello cherry flavours, soft spices and silky tannins are a charming match.
Baked orzo puttanesca – serves 4
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
3 anchovies in oil, drained and roughly chopped
2 tbsp capers
30g preserved lemon, discard the flesh and thinly slice the skin into strips
70g pitted Kalamata olives, roughly torn in half
2 tins of good tuna in olive oil, drained and roughly flaked
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
250g dried orzo
1-2 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into half ½ cm thick rounds
40g Parmesan, finely grated
5g basil leaves, roughly torn
Preheat the oven to 200C fan.
Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan that has a lid. Add the onion and cook gently for about 8 minutes or until softed and browned. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and anchovies and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the capers, half the preserved lemon strips, 45g of the olives, the tuna, tomato purée, tinned tomatoes, orzo, 450ml of water, 1 tsp of salt and lots of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover with the lid and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.
Turn the oven up to 230C fan.
Remove the lid from the dish, top with the tomato slices and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for a further 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned, then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle over the remaining olives, preserved lemon, basil and 1 tbsp of oil before serving.
(Original recipe from OTK Shelf Love by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2021.)
We came across this Joe Trivelli recipe at the weekend when trying to find a lunch dish that would use up half a tub of ricotta. It’s definitely worth buying a tub of ricotta for too.
Wine Suggestion: This dish needs a wine that has a bit of acidity and freshness, so taking inspiration from the grated Pecorino on top we went for the similarly named Pecorino grape from the Marche. The crunchy, characterful Vellodoro Pecorino from Umani Ronchi well met the mark and reminded us of summer too, which was a bonus.
Pasta with pine nuts and ricotta – serves 4
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
a pinch of dried chilli flakes
60g pine nuts
300g tomatoes, peeled and chopped (Joe recommends yellow tomatoes but we had red)
3 sprigs of basil
400g short pasta, we used fusilli
200g ricotta
50g grated pecorino
extra virgin olive oil
Put the garlic into a wide pan with 3 tablespoons of oil and place over a medium heat. When the garlic starts to turn golden, add the chilli. Turn the heat down low, remove the garlic and add the pine nuts. Allow them to colour but watch carefully or they could burn.
Add the tomatoes and basil sprigs and season. When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of boiling salty water until al dente. Scoop out a mug of cooking water before draining.
Toss the pasta with the tomatoes and pine nuts, then add the ricotta, half the pecornio and a few spoons of cooking water. Keep turning the pasta over until you have a nice consistency, adding more water if it looks dry. Serve in warm bowls with the rest of the cheese and a drizzle of your best olive oil.
(Original recipe from The Modern Italian Cook by Joe Trivelli, Seven Dials, 2018.)
We know you don’t need to be told how to make a tomato salad, but this one was particularly nice so we thought we would share.
Tomato salad – serves 4 as a side
700g mixed tomatoes, slice large ones into thick slices and halve tiny ones
a generous handful of basil leaves
a small handful of parsley leaves
1 heaped tbsp chopped oregano
a handful of watercress
½ a red onion, thinly sliced
balsamic vinegar
good olive oil
a ball of top quality buffalo mozzarella
Put the tomatoes into a large bowl with the herbs, watercress and onion. Drizzle over some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Toss well together, then transfer to a platter.
Top with torn mozzarella and drizzle with a little more oil.
Do try and find Italian sausages for this, they’re much meatier and richer. We buy a brand called Levoni. You can also use fresh tomatoes if you can find fantastic ones but otherwise we’d recommend a good-quality tin.
Wine Suggestion: This was made after an online wine tasting Jono was running which focussed on Grenache, so naturally we had to try them with this. The amazing Domaine de Cébène Ex Arena from Faugeres was our pick. Mostly old vine, low yeilding Grenache with a touch of Mourvedre, grown on sand. This is perfumed and complex with vitality and energy. The deep red berried fruit is both rounded and structured with a bass note of earthy black fruits and forest floor. Very elegant but also big enough to stand up to the meaty and rich pasta.
Fusilli with Sausage – serves 4
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
400g Italian sausages, skins removed
150ml white wine
1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
a handful of mint leaves
400g dried fusilli pasta
grated pecorino, to serve
Gently warm the garlic and olive oil in a large pan, then crumble in the sausages. Turn the heat up and cook until they are no longer pink (as you would with mince).
Add the wine and bubble until evaporated, then add the tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Add the mint and taste for seasoning, sausages can be quite salty so you might not need any.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just al dente in lots of very salty water.
Drain the pasta but keep a little cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce. Stir the pasta into the sausage sauce and simmer for a few minutes. Serve in warm bowls with pecorino sprinkled over.
(Original recipe from An A-Z of Pasta by Rachel Roddy, Fig Tree, 2021.)
You should try this the next time you have some leftover roast chicken. In fact, it’s even worth cooking some chicken specially. Great for lunch with some fresh bread and butter.
Chopped Chicken Salad – serves 4 (generously)
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced (or just use some leftover roast chicken which is what we did)
3 celery sticks, diced
4 scallions, sliced into rounds
½ cucumber, deseeded and diced
100g radishes, thinly sliced
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tarragon sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 thyme springs, leaves only
1 heart of romaine lettuce or Little Gem lettuce, finely chopped
50g watercress, stems finely chopped and leaves left whole
50g rocket, roughly chopped
50g Parmesan, finely grated
FOR THE DRESSING:
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp runny honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
You need to start with a very large bowl, big enough to toss all of the salad ingredients together in.
Make the salad dressing in the bowl by whisking all of the ingredients together with some salt and black pepper.
Add the chicken to the dressing in the bowl and toss to coat. Fold in the chopped celery, scallions, cucumber, radishes and cherry tomatoes, then the herbs. Stir it all together and season with salt and black pepper.
When you are ready to serve, add the lettuce, watercress, rocket and Parmesan to the bowl. Toss everything together and serve as it is or tip out onto a large serving dish.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ One Pot Wonders by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2019.)
This makes a delicious veggie breakfast with toast or with bread and a salad for lunch. It is so simple but you need to use top quality tinned tomatoes as they are the star of the show.
Baked eggs with tomatoes – serves 4
500g tinned tomatoes, drained, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
8 fresh eggs
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
Put the tomatoes into a saucepan with 2 tbsp of water and a couple of pinches of salt. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, give it a stir occasionally.
Pour the olive oil into an ovenproof dish, then pour the tomatoes on top.
Break the eggs into the dish on top of the sauce and season with black pepper. Bake for 5 minutes or until the whites are just set and the yolks still runny.
(Original recipe from Southern Italian Cooking by Valentina Harris, Pavilion Books Limited, 1993.)
A few tins and some spices and you’re pretty much sorted for this tasty weeknight curry. We served this with rice the first night, and chips the second. We also know it’s not tomato season at present but the fresh tomatoes are really more for texture than flavour here.
Tomato & chickpea curry – serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large tomatoes, quartered
a small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions for about 10 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic and spices and keep cooking for another minute or two.
Add the tin of tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and season generously. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes or until thickened.
Add the chickpeas and fresh tomatoes and allow to warm through. Serve with some steamed rice and the coriander scattered over.
Growing up in Northern Ireland Jules often had mince and potatoes for dinner. The “mince” was minced beef with carrot and onions in gravy and it was served with boiled potatoes. We saw this recipe recently in a book of ‘British Classics’ where it was served with dumplings. Dumplings definitely did not feature on Jules’ childhood dinner table, so we left these out and served it with champ. A huge hit with the 7 year old and much more economical than many of our other weekend recipes.
Wine Suggestion: Keep it simple and choose a Grenache & Syrah blend like a Côtes du Rhône or similar. Rich enough but generally easy drinking with lovely bramble and spice flavours. Our current “find” is Jean-Paul Daumen’s version which balances this ease with a good dollop of class.
Mince – serves 6
2 tbsp veg oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
2 carrots, diced
500g beef mince
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
450ml beef stock
a pinch of caster sugar
1 bay leaf
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrots for 15 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
Add the beef mince and cook for another 5 minutes, until it starts to brown. Break the mince up with a wooden spoon as it browns.
Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, beef stock, sugar and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid if it reduces too much but you want it to be nicely thickened.
Serve with green veg and potatoes.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ British Classics by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2018.)
The perfect soup for a glut of ripe tomatoes, there’s not much point otherwise as the forced imported ones won’t have enough flavour.
Fresh tomato soup – serves 4
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery, finely chopped
50g butter
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
500g very ripe tomatoes
850ml chicken stock
4 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to serve if you like
a few basil leaves (only if you have them!)
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for about 15 minutes or until very soft.
Add the thyme and bay leaves and cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes, chicken stock and some seasoning. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Discard the herbs, add the crème fraîche and whizz until smooth. Check the seasoning and serve with some extra crème fraîche if you like and a few basil leaves.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, September 2016.)
This really is the perfect dish by Joe Trivelli. Chunky pieces of tuna, earthy lentils and sweet tomatoes. We really recommend this one.
Wine Suggestion: Chill down a Grignolino, a red from Piedmont, and you’ve got a joyful match. A friend brings in Olim Bauda’s version which is excellent, but we’re conscious this is a hard grape to find so if you can’t find one try a chilled, youthful Beaujolais or a Dolcetto.
Tuna Cooked in Lentils – serves 4
200g dried lentils
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
350g thick tuna steak, cut into 3 cm chunks
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
small bunch of basil leaves
40g butter
1 lemon
best extra virgin olive oil
Rinse the lentils and cook in water until tender, about 20 minutes, then drain.
Season the flour with salt and stir in the crushed coriander seeds. Lightly dust the tuna in the flour mixture.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and fry the garlic until golden. Remove the garlic from the pan and add the tuna. Turn quickly, then add the tomatoes and basil, followed by the lentils. Toss a few times, then turn off the heat. Put the butter on top and leave in the pan for 8 minutes, basting the tuna with the lentils. Squeeze over some lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
(Original recipe from The Modern Italian Cook by Joe Trivelli, Seven Dials, 2018.)
We regularly have a caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella & basil) for lunch in the summer months. This pasta version is a good one and makes it a bit more substantial.
Caprese pasta salad – serves 4
200g orecchiette, cooked and rinsed under cold water, then drained again
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
150g baby plum or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, diced
150g bocconcini (mini mozzarella) or a ball of mozzarella, torn into small pieces
a bunch of basil, shredded
Put the cooked pasta into a serving bowl with the olive oil, red wine vinegar and tomatoes, then season and toss.
Add the avocado, bocconcini and basil. Toss again gently and serve.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, July 2018.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 