When temperatures start to rise and the desire to cook dwindles, summer recipes become our allies in the kitchen. Among these, cold pasta with red radicchio pesto stands out for originality, taste, and quick preparation. A perfect dish for light lunches, picnics, packed lunches for work, or outdoor dinners, combining the convenience of cold pasta with the creaminess of a raw pesto with a bold but balanced flavor.
The real star is the red radicchio pesto, prepared raw in just a few minutes, without the need for cooking or sautéing. It only takes a few ingredients: fresh red radicchio, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and good quality extra virgin olive oil. The result is a cream with an intense color and a slightly bitter taste, softened by the saltiness of the cheese and the roundness of the oil. A versatile base, ready to dress the pasta just drained and cooled under cold water, or to be stored in the fridge and used as needed.
To give an extra touch to the dish, you can add coarsely chopped walnuts, which provide crunchiness and a very pleasant rustic note. Even a few shavings of parmesan or a drizzle of raw oil when serving can further enhance the preparation. If you love to dare, you can also enrich the recipe with a few thin slices of speck or cubes of fresh cheese.
Cold pasta with red radicchio pesto is a recipe that everyone agrees on: it’s quick, light, vegetarian (in the basic version), and perfect for varying the usual summer menu with something unusual but very easy to make. A valid alternative to the usual sauces, to try at least once… and then remake every time you have radicchio in the fridge!
If your craving for something fresh and quick hasn’t been satisfied with this recipe, you absolutely must try these recipes too:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Low Cost
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 296.35 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.78 (g) of which sugars 0.75 (g)
- Proteins 13.42 (g)
- Fat 15.29 (g) of which saturated 6.07 (g)of which unsaturated 2.96 (g)
- Fibers 1.89 (g)
- Sodium 346.60 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Cold Pasta with Red Radicchio Pesto
- 11 oz pasta (preferably short)
- 7 oz red radicchio from Treviso IGP, early (already cleaned)
- 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Mixer
Preparation of Cold Pasta with Red Radicchio Pesto
Clean the red radicchio, removing the white and hard central part, and cut it into strips.
Place the radicchio in the mixer glass, saving some strips, the cheese, and the extra virgin olive oil. Activate the mixer and blend until you get a not too fine and emulsified mixture. I like to keep some larger radicchio pieces.
Pour the pesto into a bowl and set aside.
Boil the short pasta you have decided to use in plenty of salted water. This time I used small shells, but farfalle, wheels, half penne, and even orecchiette are perfect for this recipe.
Drain the pasta al dente and quickly cool it under a stream of cold water. Drain it very well and place it in a large bowl.
Dress the pasta with the red radicchio pesto, mix carefully, and if it should be too dry, you can add a little oil. Add the radicchio leaves you have saved and let it rest in the refrigerator until serving.
My advice is to take out the cold pasta from the refrigerator ten minutes before serving it at the table.
