Today, a recipe for a fresh main dish: cold pasta with fresh salmon and zucchini in raw zucchini cream.
With the summer heat, it’s challenging to eat hot dishes, and we’re always looking for ideas to dress pasta salads or rice dishes.
Today I’ve prepared a cold pasta with one of the most classic combinations, zucchini and salmon, but I didn’t use smoked salmon. Instead, I used a fresh fillet cooked in a pan with a bit of lemon, diced light zucchini from the garden, and a rustic pesto made with raw zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and almonds.
It’s very convenient to take to the office or the beach; we can prepare it the night before and then enjoy it in total relaxation.
Let’s now see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients for the cold pasta
- 11 oz pasta
- 1 zucchini
- 5.3 oz salmon (about 1 slice)
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste olive oil
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 slice lemon
- 3.5 oz zucchini
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 0.7 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 almonds
- to taste olive oil
- to taste salt
- 3 leaves basil
Let’s prepare the pasta salad with zucchini and salmon
Boil water to cook the pasta, then slightly heat a non-stick pan and toast the almonds for a few minutes. When ready, remove them and set aside. In the same pan, pour a drizzle of oil, a clove of garlic, and a slice of lemon, let it heat, and lay down the salmon slices. Season with salt and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning halfway.
Meanwhile, prepare the rustic zucchini cream. In the blender glass, put the zucchini trimmed at the ends and cut into pieces, the toasted almonds, cherry tomatoes, basil, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and oil, then blend until smooth.
Wash the other zucchinis and trim the ends. Then, cut slices about 1/8 inch thick, then cut into strips and then dice.
Remove the salmon from the pan, place it on a plate, and let it cool slightly. In the pan, add a drizzle of oil, let it heat, and then cook the diced zucchini with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper for 2-3 minutes. They should remain a bit crunchy.
Debone the salmon and break it into pieces. Then put it in a bowl, add the cooked zucchini, and a couple of tablespoons of rustic zucchini pesto.
Drain the pasta and cool it under running water. Then pour it into the bowl with the dressing, mix well, and adjust oil and salt, or add more zucchini cream, optionally a grated lemon zest.
The cold pasta with fresh salmon and zucchini in raw zucchini cream can be eaten as is, but it will be even better if allowed to cool further. While you wait, take a photo of your pasta salad and post it on social media, tagging me (a curly girl who bakes instagram and facebook) and show me what pasta shape you used.
Curly Girl suggests
The cold pasta with fresh salmon and zucchini in raw zucchini cream keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days when stored in an airtight container.
FAQ
What almonds should I use for the rustic pesto?
For the raw zucchini pesto, you can use slightly toasted almonds in a pan or blanched and peeled almonds.
