Tomato and garlic pasta salad

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Use this simple recipe as a basis for a main course and just add what you fancy to bulk it out and give it interest.

Make about half the quantity if you are using it as a side-salad.

Ingredients

• 300 g small dried pasta shapes such as shells, small macaroni etc.
• 4 whole unpeeled Cloves of garlic.
• A quarter of a cucumber, peeled and finely chopped.
• A handful of black pitted olives.
• 400 g mixed cherry tomatoes of your choice.
• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar.
• 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
• A few spring onions, finely chopped or a handful finely chopped of chives.
• A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn.
• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped.
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

A selection of your favourites from:

• Blanched, chopped asparagus.
• Chopped anchovies
• Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Chopped salami, bacon, parma ham, etc.
• Cooked peas / beans / chickpeas / sweetcorn etc.
• Grated carrots.
• Chopped celery.
• Baby broad beans.
• Avocado pear.
• Sun-dried tomatoes.
• Chopped roast bell peppers
• Blanched broccoli florets.
• Chopped dried shrimp - re-hydrate by pre-soaking in just boiled water for 10 minutes
• Small fresh prawns.
• Pine nuts.
• Crushed walnuts.
• Quartered hard-boiled eggs.
• Croutons.

Method

1. Boil the pasta and the garlic cloves in a large pan of salted water until al-dente. About 6 to 9 minutes for dried pasta, much less for fresh pasta.
2. Reserve the garlic, drain and rinse the pasta under cold running water to cool.
3. Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, olives and other ingredients into fairly small pieces, ideally around the same size as the pasta. Arrange in a large serving bowl.
4. Squeeze the garlic cloves into a mortar and pestle, add the oil and vinegar and mush up into a paste. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Drizzle this dressing over the salad, toss and serve.

Chef's notes

Any ingredients that need to remain dry, such as croutons, nuts etc. should be added at the last moment.