Calamari and shell pasta salad

Calamari and shell pasta salad

Servings: 4
In this salad, PG paste (parsley and garlic) is the marinade AND the dressing, the dual fuel that’s full of flav. You can eat this warm or cold – as more pasta or more salad. The quickly blanched calamari’s terrific texturally against the al dente shells, and I quite enjoy the play of an oceanic pasta shape and protein. Don’t overcook the calamari – it’s a quick in-and-out situation. If you’d prefer to keep this plant based, sub in cooked chickpeas or big white beans.
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Ingredients 

  • 350 g fresh calamari sliced into 5 mm (1/4 inch) rings
  • ½ cup small capers rinsed and drained
  • 200 g 7 oz sugar plum cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 200 g 7 oz small shell pasta

PG DRESSING

  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 1 garlic bulb about 10 cloves, cloves separated and peeled
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup 250ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for splashing
  • 1 tsp salt flakes

FINAL BITS & BOBS

  • Lemon wedges optional

Instructions 

  • Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil.
  • Meanwhile, pick half a packed cup of the smaller parsley leaves and reserve.
  • Make the PG dressing by putting the rest of the unpicked parsley bunch (stalks and all), garlic cloves, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and salt into a blender. Blitz to a verdant green paste and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  • When the water is boiling, add the calamari and cook for 30 seconds, then scoop out, tap to drain and dump into the PG dressing, along with the capers and tomatoes.
  • Wait until the water comes back to the boil, throw in the pasta shells and cook for 2 minutes less than suggested on the packet. Drain and rinse, then toss onto a tray with a splash of
  • extra olive oil and spread out in one layer to cool down quickly and dry out a bit. Swoosh off the tray into the PG dressing, along with the reserved parsley leaves, and toss everything together.
  • Tumble onto a platter and serve with lemon wedges, if using, and some freshly cracked pepper.

Notes

Recipe from Salad for Days, Murdoch Books

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