Quick pasta salad with the Thermomix® takes 20 minutes from start to table. While the pasta cooks, we chop the herbs and mix the dressing. The reverse direction at the end combines everything without squashing the tomatoes and Mozzarella.
We have been making this salad for years for impromptu barbecue evenings. The trick is not in exotic ingredients but in the order: pasta cooks in a regular pot while the Thermomix® finishes the dressing in parallel, then everything is gently combined using reverse direction. The blade rotates backwards, stirring only and not cutting.
Quick Pasta Salad with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 13 ✓
- 350 g pasta e.g. fusilli or penne
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 sprigs oregano
- 1 bunch basil
- 70 g olive oil
- 30 g white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp medium-hot mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp honey
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 200 g Mozzarella
Instructions 0 / 6
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1
Cook the pasta.
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
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2
Chop the ingredients.
Meanwhile, peel the shallot, peel the garlic clove and place both in the mixing bowl together with the oregano leaves and basil leaves (reserving a few for garnishing). Chop for 3 sec / speed 8. Scrape down with the spatula.
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3
Mix the dressing.
Add the oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, 1 tsp salt, pepper and honey and mix everything for 12 sec / speed 3.
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4
Prepare the remaining ingredients.
Trim the tomatoes and halve them. Drain the Mozzarella and dice it.
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5
Drain the pasta.
Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
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6
Toss and serve.
Add the tomatoes and diced Mozzarella together with the pasta to the mixing bowl and mix for 12 sec / reverse direction / speed 3. Serve garnished with the remaining basil.
Tip: If you skip rinsing the pasta in cold water, you can serve it warm.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why reverse direction keeps the tomatoes and Mozzarella intact
Normally, speed 3 would crush the tomatoes and pull the Mozzarella into strings. With reverse direction the blade turns against the cutting direction. It stirs gently and distributes the dressing evenly, but the structure of the ingredients stays intact. After 12 seconds every piece of pasta is coated, the tomatoes are still firm and the Mozzarella stays in cubes.
Fresh herbs instead of dried
We use fresh basil and oregano, not dried herbs. The Thermomix® chops both in 3 seconds at speed 8, finely enough to dissolve into the dressing but without turning to mush. The flavour is noticeably more intense than with dried herbs. If you only have dried basil, reduce the amount to 1 tsp and add it directly to the dressing without chopping.
White balsamic keeps the colours bright
We use white balsamic vinegar instead of dark because it does not discolour the salad. The pasta stays pale, the tomatoes stay red and the Mozzarella stays white. Dark balsamic would turn everything grey-brown. The flavour difference is minimal, but the appearance is far more appetising. If you only have dark balsamic, the recipe still works, though the salad will look less fresh.
Serve warm or cold
The recipe works both ways. For the warm version, skip rinsing the pasta, just drain it and add it to the mixing bowl while still hot. The dressing warms up slightly and the Mozzarella softens at the edges without melting completely. For the cold version, rinse the pasta under ice-cold water until fully cooled. This stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from continuing to soften and turning mushy in the salad.
Halve the cherry tomatoes, do not quarter them
We halve the tomatoes rather than quartering them. Halved tomatoes keep their shape better during reverse direction mixing. Quartered tomatoes are too small and turn to pulp when combined. If you are using larger tomatoes, cut them into bite-sized pieces but no smaller than half a cherry tomato. The size determines whether you end up with a salad with tomato pieces or tomato sauce on pasta.
Pasta shapes that work
Fusilli or penne work best because they hold the dressing in their grooves. Spaghetti do not work because they cannot be mixed evenly and the dressing slides off. Farfalle are fine but tend to go soft if cooked too long. The pasta must be al dente, otherwise it falls apart during mixing. It is better to cook it one minute less than the packet suggests, as the pasta continues to absorb a little heat in the warm salad.
How long it keeps in the fridge
The salad keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. After that the pasta softens and the Mozzarella releases water. If you want to prepare it ahead, only toss everything together just before serving. Keep the dressing separately, the pasta separately and the tomatoes and Mozzarella separately. Then 12 seconds reverse direction speed 3 and it is ready. This way everything stays fresh and the salad does not look as though it was made the day before.
What other recipes do differently
Goes well with: meatballs and grilled bread.
Other Thermomix® pasta salad recipes often use mini penne with a balsamic seasoning mix, or farfalle with homemade pesto, rocket, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. We stick with fusilli or penne plus a fresh herb dressing, because the grooves hold the oil better and cherry tomatoes with Mozzarella keep their shape in reverse direction. For a heartier version, add 100 g diced cooked ham. To keep it vegetarian, try sweetcorn, cucumber or peppers. One important step: allow 30 minutes to rest in the fridge, and if the salad looks dry the next day, stir in a spoonful of warm vegetable stock rather than adding more oil.
More quick salads with the Thermomix®: Coleslaw, Quinoa Salad, Potato Salad.
