Jamie Oliver's Best Pasta Salad
Elevate your summer dining with Jamie Oliver's Best Pasta Salad—a vibrant, flavor-packed dish that comes together in just 25 minutes! This easy yet impressive recipe combines perfectly cooked al dente penne pasta with a medley of fresh cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, zesty red onion, and briny black olives, all tossed in a bright and tangy lemon-olive oil dressing. Fresh basil and shavings of Parmesan cheese provide a delightful finishing touch, making this pasta salad a refreshing, crowd-pleasing option for picnics, potlucks, or quick weeknight meals. Light, colorful, and bursting with Mediterranean-inspired flavors, this dish is as nutritious as it is delicious. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a versatile side or standout main course.
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Ingredients
- 400 g Penne pasta
- 250 g Cherry tomatoes
- 100 g Black olives
- 1 whole Cucumber
- 1 whole Red onion
- 20 g Fresh basil leaves
- 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole Lemon
- 50 g Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper
Directions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne pasta until al dente according to package instructions, typically around 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside.
Step 2
While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the cucumber and red onion.
Step 3
Roughly chop the black olives and fresh basil leaves. Set these aside for assembly.
Step 4
In a small mixing bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, sea salt, and black pepper.
Step 5
In a large salad serving bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, black olives, and basil leaves.
Step 6
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly.
Step 7
Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin shards of Parmesan cheese over the salad for a finishing touch.
Step 8
Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Garnish with a few additional basil leaves before serving if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving size | (1394.2g) |
|---|
| Amount per serving | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|
| Calories | 2399.0 |
| Total Fat 89.7g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 19.4g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g | |
| Cholesterol 44.5mg | 0% |
| Sodium 3409.8mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 342.3g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 25.8g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 19.4g | |
| Protein 74.3g | 0% |
| Vitamin D 0IU | 0% |
| Calcium 699.4mg | 0% |
| Iron 24.0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 2235.2mg | 0% |
Source of Calories