A barbecue pasta salad from the Thermomix® only works if you rinse the farfalle immediately under cold water after cooking. That stops the starch from releasing. Without this step the salad clumps together after 20 minutes and turns soggy.
We have been making this salad for every barbecue for years. The combination of sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, feta and rocket delivers the Mediterranean flavour that pairs so well with grilled meat. The dressing made from white balsamic, olive oil and fresh basil is emulsified in the Thermomix® in just 4 seconds.
Mediterranean BBQ Pasta Salad, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 15 ✓
- 1000 g water
- 2 tsp salt
- 250 g farfalle
- 100 g sun-dried tomatoes
- 80 g black olives
- 100 g rocket
- 200 g feta
- 1 garlic clove
- 4 leaves basil
- 20 g white balsamic vinegar
- 30 g olive oil
- 1/2 tsp medium-hot mustard
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 splash lemon juice
Instructions 0 / 6
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1
Cook the farfalle.
Add water to the mixing bowl and bring to the boil for 8 min / 100°C / speed 1. Add 1 tsp salt and the farfalle, then cook for 10 min / 95°C / reverse direction / speed 1.
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2
Prepare the tomatoes, olives, rocket and cheese.
Meanwhile, cut 80 g of the sun-dried tomatoes into pieces and slice the olives. Wash the rocket and cut the feta into cubes.
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3
Drain the pasta.
Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water and transfer to a salad bowl.
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4
Chop the garlic, tomatoes and basil.
Peel the garlic and place in the mixing bowl. Add the basil and 20 g of sun-dried tomatoes, chop for 5 sec / speed 8 and push down with the spatula.
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5
Make the dressing.
Add the vinegar, oil, mustard, 1 tsp salt, pepper, sugar and lemon to the mixing bowl and combine for 4 sec / speed 3.
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6
Toss the salad.
Add the tomatoes, olives, rocket and feta on top of the pasta. Pour the dressing from the mixing bowl over everything and toss well to combine.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why rinsing is essential for pasta salad
Farfalle release starch into the cooking water as they cook. As soon as the pasta comes out of the mixing bowl, that starch continues to work and coats the surface. Cold water stops this process immediately. We rinse the pasta under cold running water straight after draining, until it has cooled completely. This keeps it loose and allows the dressing to coat it evenly.
Without rinsing, the salad turns into a sticky lump after 20 minutes. The starch binds the pasta together and the dressing can no longer penetrate. In warm pasta dishes that starch is welcome, but in a cold salad it ruins the texture.
Sun-dried tomatoes and olives: the flavour base
We use 100 g of sun-dried tomatoes in oil. They bring concentrated tomato sweetness and a slightly salty note. Fresh tomatoes would water down the salad and lack enough flavour of their own. 80 g of sun-dried tomatoes are cut into pieces and added directly to the pasta. The remaining 20 g go into the dressing, where they are chopped together with basil and garlic at speed 8. This gives the dressing a red-green colour and makes it more intense than a plain oil-and-vinegar dressing.
The black olives, sliced, provide salty contrast. Feta cut into cubes adds creaminess and extra salt. We only add 1 tsp of salt to the dressing itself, because the olives and feta already bring a lot of sodium.
Rocket goes on last
Rocket wilts quickly if mixed with the dressing too early. We wash it, spin it dry and add it over the salad only just before serving. That keeps it crisp and preserves its peppery bite. If the salad needs to sit for more than 30 minutes, we leave the rocket out entirely and serve it separately in a bowl.
Dressing timing: add it just before serving
The dressing made from white balsamic, olive oil, mustard, sugar and lemon juice is emulsified in the Thermomix® at speed 3 in 4 seconds. The mustard acts as an emulsifier and binds the oil and vinegar. The sugar and lemon balance the acidity of the balsamic.
We add the dressing only just before serving. If it goes on too early, the pasta absorbs the liquid and the salad dries out. After 2 hours no dressing is visible and the pasta tastes flat. So: transport the salad and dressing separately and mix them at the barbecue.
Farfalle or other pasta shapes
Farfalle have many folds in their butterfly shape, which catch the dressing. Every forkful of pasta brings enough dressing with it. Fusilli work just as well. Penne or rigatoni are less suitable because they are smooth and the dressing slides off. Wholemeal farfalle work too, but need 2 minutes extra cooking time in the Thermomix® and have a stronger flavour.
without rocket
Goes well with: Feta and baguette.
The salad keeps in the fridge for 2 days, but only without the rocket and without the dressing. Store the pasta, tomatoes, olives and feta in a sealed bowl. Keep the dressing separately in a screw-top jar. Buy fresh rocket before serving. Mix everything together just before serving. Freezing does not work because the feta crumbles when thawed and the rocket turns soggy.
More Mediterranean Thermomix® recipes: Mediterranean bread rolls, Mediterranean cheese spread, 3x Mediterranean Ciabatta.
