Loretta Sebastiani

Loretta Sebastiani
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Pasta salad with tomatoes, oregano and mozzarella
( Pasta fredda mediterranea )

Our original home cooking

This pasta salad is a recipe of mine. Our guests love it very much for its typical Mediterranean ingredients: tomatoes, oregano and other aromatic herbs, mozzarella and chili-flavored pasta. This main cold dish is ideal for celebration menus (such as a meal, buffet-style) or alfresco dinner menu or every time you have a lot of guests. The doses are enough for 12 people; read the doses per head below. If you use wholemeal pasta this is an authentic recipe for the Mediterranean diet.

difficulty: easy

time: 20 minutes

calories: 287 (kCal)

pasta salad - the image shows chilli pasta dressed with tomato and mozzarella

Ingredients / Serves 12

  • 1 400g (14 ounces) can chopped tomatoes or 700g (1 1/2 pound) fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 6 teaspoons anchovy fillets in oil, drained, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons dried chives
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
  • 3 125g (4.4 ounces) balls mozzarella cheese, cubed or grated
  • 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • 500g (1.1 pound) chilli-flavored short pasta
Difficulty:
easy recipe
Time:
preparation: 15 minutes
cooking: 5-15 minutes (it depends on the kind of pasta)
total time: 20 minutes
How many calories in a serving?
Calories: 287 (kcal) 15 % - 1202 (kJ)
Protein: 12.1 (g) 25 % GDA
Total fat: 12.2 (g) 18 % GDA
Total carbohydrate: 34.3 (g) 13 % GDA
Sugars: 3.1 (g) 4 % GDA

Download free PDF version (299 download).

Mediterranean pasta salad recipe

Preparation and cooking

  • - Prepare pasta salad dressing.
    Prepare your dressing at least 1 hour before cooking pasta.
    Put tomatoes in a large bowl and crush them with a fork.
    Now add all other ingredients except mozzarella cheese.
    Stir gently, season to taste with salt and chill for at least 1 hour, covered.
  • - Cook your pasta and combine with dressing.
    Cook pasta "al dente" stage.
    Drain it in the colander and run under cold water in order to stop its cooking.
    Transfer pasta into the bowl.
    Stir gently and chill, covered, at least 2 hours, before serving.

Just before serving

  • - Bring back your pasta salad to room temperature before serving.
  • - Add mozzarella cheese just before serving.
    Remember to put aside some thin slices before cubing or grating, for garnishing the top as you can see in the photo.
    Stir gently.
    Your pasta salad is ready!

Note

Tips

  • - Obviously if you use fresh tomatoes you have the best result.
  • - You can prepare this pasta salad some hours in advance, in the morning for the evening for example.

Menu planning

  • - This pasta salad, Mediterranean-style can be eaten often and so you can choose it for your weekly summer menu. Read below on healthy eating and useful links for more details.
  • - Another tip ... think of it planning a meal, buffet-style in every season.

Useful links for this recipe

Healthy eating

  • - Here are the doses per head if you have a different number of guests at table: 50g (1 3/4 ounce) pasta, about 60g (2.1 ounces) mozzarella cheese, a very big ripe tomato, an anchovy fillet, 2 teaspoons olive oil and aromatic herbs.
    Very useful for your shopping list :))
  • - Pasta salad is a typical cold dish for summer but it is rich in ingredients. How not to exceed calories, fat and sugar? In this case nutrition facts are within the normal amount for I created it for a complete menu in which Mediterranean pasta is served combined with many other courses.
    The situation is different if you want to prepare this pasta salad for your family menu. It should be one-plate meal and you have to vary the doses per head. Here they are! 60g (2.1 ounces) pasta, 50g (1 3/4 ounce) mozzarella, 1 anchovy fillet, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 big ripe tomatoes and herbs according to your taste.
    Now nutrition facts are:
    Energy: 478 kcal (1998 kJ)
    Protein: 19.4 grams
    Total fat: 21.6 grams
    Carbo: 54.8 grams
    Sugar: 9.9 grams
    Fiber: 5.6 grams
    To complete your menu, if you're still hungry, choose raw or boiled vegetables eventually seasoned with 2 teaspoons olive oil and fresh fruit. Don't choose fish or meat as second course for mozzarella is already rich in protein.
    I remember you pasta should be eaten preferably at lunch.
  • - If you have the habit to drink a glass of wine remember to add its calories too.

Loretta

What's the right wine for " Pasta salad with tomatoes, oregano and mozzarella "?

My husband and I suggest you to match a fresh rosé wine such as Corvo rosa (wine of Sicily - Italy).