Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Peas

total time:: 30 min

Serves 10-12

Pasta (Italian for “dough”) is a generic term for Italian variants of noodles, food made from a dough of flour, water and/or eggs, that is boiled. Italian pasta is traditionally cooked al dente (Italian: “to the tooth”, meaning not too soft). Though the Chinese were eating noodles as long ago as 1500 BC (known thanks to the discovery of a well-preserved bowl of noodles over 4000 years old), the familiar legend of Marco Polo importing pasta from China is just that, a legend, as pasta was introduced by the Arabs during their conquest of Sicily. This pasta salad recipe is a family favorite which may be made well ahead of time and refrigerated or left for a few hours, covered, on the kitchen counter.

ingredients

1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh, minced tarragon leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 large garlic clove, mashed into a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, boiled until tender and drained
2 pints red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

directions

1
1. In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, tarragon, garlic paste, and fresh ground pepper to taste, adding the oil in a thin stream whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
2
2. In the microwave or on a stove top cook the peas (as per package instructions) in a little water until just tender. You may also add the peas (make sure they are defrosted first) to the cooking pasta for the last few minutes of cooking. Set aside for later.
3
3. In a large pot of salted boiling water cook the pasta until al dente or desired tenderness (as per package instructions). Drain pasta into a colander, rinse well, and drain again.
4
4. In a large bowl toss the pasta with the dressing, add the cooked peas, halved tomatoes, and the basil. Stir well from the bottom up until well combined.

notes

There are approximately 350 different shapes of pasta. Under Italian law, dry pasta (pasta secca) can only be made from durum wheat or semolina flour.

Source: Gourmet