As soon as the green beans and tomatoes are ripe I make this salad. In fact, it was one of the salads I remember that gave me such a thrill at being able to say I grew all the vegetables in the salad (when I added onions. garlic, and basil to my little garden).
I’ve served this for lunch with guests, just adding a cheese and fruit plate for more protein.
And with grilled sausages for dinner it is one of my favorite meals (usually I can get the sausages for $1.99 to $2.99 bringing the whole meal well under my $5.00 goal).
From the garden (or market!) you will need tomatoes (I use heirloom for the great flavor and a few paste for the firmness), green beans, sweet onion, basil, and garlic.
The other ingredients are Parmesan cheese, fettuccine or linguine pasta, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and olives. This time I used kalamata olives, but regular ones are good, too.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the noodles, and set a timer for only 5 minutes. Trim the green beans and cut into 1 inch lengths.
Add the green beans to the pot of pasta and continue cooking until the pasta and beans are tender, about 5-7 minutes more.
Meanwhile, to make the salad dressing place 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and a teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a cup measure. Add 1/3 c. of red wine vinegar and stir.
Pour in about 2/3 cup olive oil and whisk between two hands until the dressing ingredients are emulsified.
Cut the basil into slivers and measure out 1/2 cup.
I like bigger pieces of sweet onion in this, so I cut each half in half again and then slice down into thin slivers. I like the size of these pieces with the long noodles.
Of course, there’s no onion police that will knock on your door if you decide to go with a regular chopped size.
When the noodles and beans are done, rinse with cold water well, stopping the cooking process and cooling them for the remaining ingredients.
Place in a bowl and add half of the dressing. Toss to coat.
Add the chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, onion, basil, and about 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
It can be layered in a glass bowl and tossed at the table, or just tossed together now. I usually just toss it at the time I’m making it.
Pour the remaining dressing over the top and chill in the refrigerator. Or serve right away, depending on how much you planned ahead (guess which I did this day?).
Summer Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Green Beans
- 1 lb. fettuccine or linguine, broken in half
- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tb. Dijon mustard
- 1/3 c. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
- 2/3 c. olive oil
- 1/2 c. slivered fresh basil leaves
- 6 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium onion (preferably sweet), halved and sliced
- 1/2 c. black or kalamata olives, sliced
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add green beans and cook for another 5-7 minutes until pasta and beans are tender (beans should still be crisp).
- Make the dressing: mix garlic, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a cup measure or small bowl. Add the olive oil and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Drain the pasta and beans and rinse well with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and pour 1/2 of the dressing over the pasta. Mix well.
- Top with the tomatoes, onion, olives, basil, and cheese. Add the remaining dressing and toss well.
- Chill up to 8 hours. Can serve cold or at room temperature.
Serves 8-10
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