10 easy and delicious cold pasta recipes!
The temperature rises, and with it the desire to eat fresh and light dishes ... but no less tasty. Cold pasta salads are a summer must, they are prepared quickly using everything we have in the fridge. The secret to making them really good is to prepare them the day before (or in any case make sure they can stay in the fridge at least 2-3 hours before serving) so that all the ingredients blend perfectly.
Of course, to prevent the pasta from being overcooked when eating it, it is preferable to drain it al dente.
One more idea: in all these recipes, the pasta can be replaced with buckwheat, buglur, brown rice, quinoa to vary the textures, but not the flavors, which remain intense and delicious.
So here are 10 tasty cold pasta ideas, to try on the hottest days of this long summer!
In the meantime, here is a delicious and light savory pie recipe
See also
1. Cold pasta with tomatoes and crab meat
A cold pasta for lovers of marine flavors. If you don't like the sweet taste of crab meat, you can replace it with tuna or fresh cheese.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 150 g of pasta
- 1 can of crab meat
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- basil
- black olives
Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon of mustard
- 3 tablespoons of vinegar
- 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Cook the pasta in abundant salted water. Be careful to drain it al dente. Prepare the hard-boiled eggs. Meanwhile, wash and cut the tomatoes and olives. Mix the crab meat with the olives, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs, cut into small pieces. Put everything in a salad bowl and mix well. Add the pasta.
Prepare the "vinaigrette" by mixing the ingredients and pour it over the pasta. Decorate with the eggs and sliced tomatoes.
An extra trick: for a light version of this cold pasta, just remove the hard-boiled eggs from the ingredients list.
2. Cold melon and ham pasta (and much more)
We all know the combination of melon and raw ham, and we all love it. We tried to make it the protagonist of a good plate of cold pasta, and the result was really surprising. Try it!
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 250 g of pasta
- 1 melon
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- basil (12 leaves)
- 150 g of mozzarella
- Parma ham (4 slices)
- 12 black olives - lemon (juice only)
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Preparation:
Prepare the pasta. Cut the melon in half and form many balls with the special spoon. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, the mozzarella into cubes and the ham into strips.
Mix the lemon juice and olive oil in a salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add 6 chopped basil leaves.
Drain the pasta and rinse it quickly under cold water. Pour it into the salad bowl and mix. Add the melon balls, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, ham and olives. Sprinkle with the rest of the basil. Serve cold.
An extra trick: instead of lemon, try the version with balsamic vinegar. It goes very well with the sweet taste of melon.
3. Cold pasta with tuna, corn and cucumbers
Tuna is the prince of pasta salads. First of all, because we always have a small box in the pantry, ready to save impromptu lunches and dinners. And then also because its strong taste is easily combined with that of raw and crunchy vegetables.
A perfect recipe to take to the office, strictly in a small bag, a hermetically sealed container that keeps the food fresh and tasty (buy it on Amazon).
Ingrediants (for 3 people):
- 1 can of tuna (+/- 200 g)
- 1 can of corn
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1/2 cucumber
- 300 g of pasta
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Cook the pasta and drain it. Take a can of tuna and drain it slightly, eliminating the excess oil, you can also choose natural tuna and season it as you like with extra virgin olive oil. Pour it into a bowl and add a can of corn, two diced tomatoes and half a cucumber, also sliced. Now season everything with oil, salt and pepper. Add two tablespoons of mayonnaise, not too thick.
Now pour the pasta inside and mix it wisely.
Serve cool and add a basil leaf!
Cook the pasta and drain it .. Mix well and melt the cheese. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and add them to the pasta. Prepare a sauce with the olive oil, lemon juice and chopped basil. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix. Serve cool.
Recommended drink: rosé wine
An extra trick: instead of fresh cucumbers you can use pickled gherkins, for a pungent taste.
And if you are a lover of zucchini, here is an easy and quick recipe to enjoy even fresh for your summer days!
4. Cold basil pasta
The great classic of cold pasta could not be missing: the one based on tomato and basil. The flavor of this aromatic herb is one of the symbols of summer.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 400 g of pasta (penne rigate or other type)
- 3 round tomatoes
- 3 fresh goat cheese
- basil (1 bunch)
- 1 lemon
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Preparation:
Cook the pasta and drain it. When it is still hot, sprinkle it with the cheese. Mix well and melt the cheese. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and add them to the pasta. Prepare a sauce with the olive oil, lemon juice and chopped basil. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix. Serve cool.
Recommended drink: rosé wine
An extra trick: for an even fresher and more fragrant version of this cold pasta, also add some mint leaves and parsley.
5. Cold swordfish and mint pasta
A cold and delicious first course, which focuses on two ingredients with a refined flavor such as swordfish and mint. Perfect for a Sunday lunch, in a summer version, perhaps in the garden. To impress guests, don't forget to have the right bowls (see Amazon).
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 400 g of short pasta such as casarecce
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 slices of 200 g of swordfish
- 2 round eggplants
- 200 g of cherry tomatoes
- 20 g of pine nuts - 40 ml of olive oil
- 10 g of chopped dried mint
- 1 sprig of parsley
- ½ chilli-salt-pepper
Preparation:
First, clean the aubergines, wash them and cut them into thick cubes of about one centimeter. Put them in the colander, sprinkle them with a spoonful of salt and let them drain for about thirty minutes, in order to eliminate the black water and amarasca. Then, rinse them well under the tap and pat them with kitchen paper to remove excess water.
Then, heat half of the oil and fry the eggplant cubes until they become a golden color, drain them with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent paper.
Remove the outer skin and any bones from the fish slices and cut them into cubes. n a large saucepan, sauté with the remaining oil, the peeled and lightly cut garlic, the washed and chopped parsley and the chilli.
Once the garlic has wilted, add the fish and leave to flavor for a couple of minutes. Then, add the coarsely chopped tomatoes, mint, pine nuts and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it al dente and pour it into the sauce from which the garlic and chilli have been removed. Mix well and serve the casarecce with swordfish and mint hot.
An extra trick: for a cheaper version of this recipe, you can use another sliced fish instead of swordfish, such as cod.
6. Cold pasta with buffalo and aubergines
This first course features one of the tastiest summer vegetables, the eggplant! Yes, it is a cold version of the greedy pasta alla norma.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 500 g of pasta - 1 eggplant
- 100 g of buffalo mozzarella
- cherry tomatoes
- basil
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Boil the water for the pasta. Meanwhile, pour a little olive oil into a salad bowl. After that, add the halved cherry tomatoes.
Wash the basil, chop it and add it to the tomatoes. Cut the buffalo mozzarella into small pieces and add it to the mixture.
Wash and cut the aubergines into cubes. Heat a little oil in a pan with the garlic clove. Cook the aubergines over medium heat, until softened.
Cook the pasta. When ready, drain and set aside to cool. Do the same with the eggplant.
When all the ingredients are cold, mix them and sprinkle with Parmesan. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
An extra trick: this recipe can be enriched with other summer vegetables, such as courgettes and peppers.
7. Cold trofie with prawns
Typical of Ligurian cuisine, the trofie are perfect with the classic pesto alla Genovese or with a fresh tomato sauce. Try them also in this cold version: although it looks like a "pasta salad, its ingredients make it a refined dish. The trofie all" salad with prawns are a very tasty and fresh dish. Although it looks like a "pasta salad, to be served cold or warm, its ingredients make it a refined dish, which you can present during a dinner with special guests.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 350 g of trofie
- 300 g of shrimp
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- parsley
- salt
- pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Start by placing a pan with plenty of salted water on the stove, bring it to a boil and then cook the trofie. Meanwhile, in a separate pan blanch the previously washed prawns; as soon as they are cooked, peel them, remove the heads and set them aside.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into small pieces, then season with a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
Drain the cooked trofie, let them cool slightly, then place them in a bowl and season with the chopped tomatoes and whole prawns.
Grate the lemon zest over the pasta, then squeeze the juice and add it to the pasta as well. Wash, dry and chop the fresh parsley, then garnish the pasta and serve.
An extra trick: other fresh pasta shapes are perfect for this recipe: strozzapreti, cavatelli, caserecce ...
8. Cold Greek pasta
A delicious cold pasta recipe but not only: just close your eyes to imagine being in a restaurant on the sea, shaded by a roof of vine leaves. Greece will no longer be that far away.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 320 g of pasta
- 1 red onion
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 green pepper
- 100 g of feta
- a handful of black olives
- 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- basil
Preparation:
Put the water for the pasta on the stove. When it boils, add salt and pour the pasta. Let the pasta cook for the time indicated on the package, stirring it from time to time. Once cooked, drain it al dente and let it cool in the colander adding a tablespoon of oil to prevent it from sticking.
Peel the onion and cut it into rings. Wash the vegetables well and cut the cherry tomatoes into wedges and the pepper into strips.
Pitted the olives and cut them into small pieces. Put everything in a salad bowl, pour in 4 tablespoons of oil and mix everything carefully.
Also add the pasta which has cooled in the meantime and mix to mix well with the rest of the ingredients, then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
After the necessary time, remove the bowl from the fridge and add the chopped feta cheese, basil and a little oil. Greek salad with cold pasta can be served.
An extra trick: if you can't find feta, you can replace it with another fresh cheese, such as primo sale, or with smoked provola.
9. Pasta with pesto salad
Here is a fresh and rich version of the classic pasta with pesto.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 400 g of pasta
- 2 tomatoes
- 100 g of buffalo mozzarella balls
- 2 slices of raw ham
- 1/2 jar of pesto
- 10 cl of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons of white cheese (like ricotta)
Preparation:
Cook the pasta. Cut the tomatoes, mozzarella and ham. Prepare a "vinaigrette". Mix the pesto, lemon juice, and white cheese. Mix all the ingredients and the "vinaigrette". Serve very fresh.
Recommended drink: prefer a fresh red wine or a rosé.
An extra trick: if you have some time and the necessary ingredients, you can prepare a do-it-yourself pesto that will be much tastier and more genuine than the one in a jar!
10. Cold pasta with dried tomatoes and pistachios
The preparation of this cold pasta is extremely easy! Consider it an ace in the hole for when you really can't (or don't want to) spend hours in the kitchen, but you want a first gluttony.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 400 g of short pasta
- 300 g of dried tomatoes in oil
- 200 g of feta
- 150 g of salted pistachios
Preparation:
Cook the pasta and let it cool. In a salad bowl: pour the oil from the dried tomatoes, the tomatoes and the diced feta cheese. Peel the pistachios, blanch them for a few minutes, incorporate them with the other ingredients and mix. Add the pasta, mix well and serve cold.
An extra trick: if you wish, you can create a mix of crumbled dried fruit to dress your cold pasta. Hazelnuts, walnuts, toasted almonds, cashews: your dish will be even richer and tastier.
Discover also on alfemminile:
- Bruschetta with stale bread: an original idea to try immediately
- Original sandwiches for your evenings with friends
- 7 ideas of summer main courses to lick your fingers!
