Classic Pasta Salad with Mozzarella, Avocado and Basil
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 3 tbsp. shallot or red onion, minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
For the Salad:
- Fine sea salt, as needed
- 1-pound short pasta, such as campanelle, fusilli or farfalle
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup cucumber, sliced
- 1-pound fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size cubes
- ¼ cup Parmesan, shaved
- ¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Instructions
To prepare the dressing:
- In a large bowl, whisk together shallot (or red onion), lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper; let sit for 5 minutes; whisk in the oil.
- Taste and add more salt and/or lemon juice, if needed.
To prepare the salad:
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook until it is just al dente; usually a minute less than the package instructions; drain well.
- While still warm, add the pasta to the bowl with the dressing; toss well.
- Allow pasta to cool, soaking up the dressing.
- In a medium bowl, gently toss together avocado, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Just before serving, add tomato, cucumber, mozzarella and Parmesan to the bowl with the pasta; toss well; gently fold in avocado and basil.
- Drizzle with olive oil, cracked black pepper and salt, to taste, before serving.
Notes
Adapt this dish to your liking by adding capers, sliced olives, diced salami, crumbled bacon, marinated artichokes, pickled pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, canned tuna (drained) and/or blanched string beans.