If you need a light and fresh side dish for summer, this Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad is perfect. Sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers and pasta tossed in a light lemony dressing, its the perfect simple pasta salad for all occasions.
Don’t be fooled by its simplicity – this fresh and flavourful cucumber and tomato pasta salad is so delicious you will definitely want seconds. The perfect summer side dish or easy meal, great for BBQs and picnics.
Cucumber Pasta Salad
For this simple pasta salad I love to use baby cucumbers. Delcisiously crisp and sweet, they have less water and more ‘bite’ than English cucumbers. Sometimes also called mini or Persian cucumbers, they are available in most UK supermarkets. You can also use English cucumber in this pasta salad.
I love the classic combination of tomato and cucumber in this tasty pasta salad. I find cherry tomatoes to work best with cucumber.
Ingredients
- Cucumber – I use baby or Persian cucumbers but you can also use English cucumber.
- Tomato – sweet cherry tomatoes work best.
- Pasta – I use Messicani but any short shape will work. Try fusilli or farfalle.
- Red Onion
- Fresh Parsley
- Olive Oil
- Lemon – juice and zest
- Italian Herb Blend – or Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
Serving and Storing
Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad makes a really great side for most proteins – try it with grilled chicken or salmon, or make a batch for your next BBQ or picnic.
Add some beans for extra fibre and protein – white beans or chickpeas/garbanzo beans work really well with tomato and cucumber.
Add some cheese – cubes of mozzarella or feta cheese or a sprinkling of grated parmesan are all really great additions to cucumber and tomato pasta salad.
Top Tips
- Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad is best prepared at least an hour in advance so the pasta can soak up the flavourful dressing.
- Be careful to not overcook the pasta – you want it to be very slightly underdone when draining as it will soften with the dressing.
- Salting the tomatoes and onions draws out the moisture and softens them up. It mellows the sharpness of the onions and intensifies the flavour of the tomatoes. The liquid that is released will also mix perfectly with the salad dressing for tons of extra flavour.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
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Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Pasta Pot
- Large Mixing Bowl
- lemon squeezer
Ingredients
- 4 baby/persian cucumbers - or ½ an English cucumber (about 150g)
- 200 grams cherry tomato
- 1 red onion
- 200 grams pasta
- small bunch fresh parsley or basil
- 1 tsp Maldon salt - ¼ tsp table salt
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp Italian herb blend - or dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and onion and add to a bowl. Sprinkle with about a teaspoon of coarse sea salt (I use Maldon). Set aside for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook the pasta about 2 minutes less than the packet instructions so it is just al-dente (still has some ‘bite’) then drain and rinse with cold water.
- Slice the cucumber and add to the bowl with the tomato and onion.
- Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice,oregano, garlic and ¼ tsp salt in a small bowl or jar and shaking or whisking until emulsified.
- Add the pasta to the bowl with tomatoes, onion and cucumber. Pour in the dressing and chopped parsley then stir to combine.
- For best results allow the salad to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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