Parsley Tomato Pasta Salad

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley by ET Charles

2 cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

20 small cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup dry farfalle pasta – also called bowtie pasta

2 ounces blue cheese

1 small red onion or 2 small red scallions

1 teaspoon olive oil

Black pepper

Directions: Cook pasta in 3 cups of boiling water. Do not add salt as the cheese contains plenty of salt. Cook 9-12 minutes or according to directions on box.

Wash tomatoes in cold water and pat dry. Cut tomatoes in half. Wash parsley leaves in cold water and pat dry. Coarsely chop parsley being careful to remove all stems as parsley stems can be tough. Place tomatoes and parsley in a bowl.

Sauté onion in one teaspoon olive oil until lightly caramelized.

Using a slotted spoon lift pasta out of water and into tomatoes and parsley bowl. Add blue cheese to the pasta, tomatoes and parsley. Toss well. Top with caramelized onions and olive oil. Toss again. Serve warm with black pepper.

The ratio of tomatoes to parsley to dry pasta is almost one to two to one (1:2:1).

This makes just enough salad. There will not be leftovers.

Serves 4 people as a small side dish.

Note: Italian flat leaf parsley was drawn for a class at Denver Botanic Gardens. Fabric was produced via Spoonflower.

Peach and Tomato Pasta Salad

Peach and Tomatoes by ET Charles

 

1 peach

1 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves

15-20 small cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup dry pasta – penne or bowtie

4 ounces mozzarella, diced into small cubes

1 teaspoon olive oil

Black pepper

Directions: The ratio of dry pasta to whole peach to 15 cherry tomatoes to 1 cup loose parsley leaves is roughly one to one to one to one.

Cook pasta in 4 cups of boiling water. Do not add salt as the cheese contains plenty of salt. For penne or bowtie pasta, cook for 9-12 minutes or according to directions on box.

Slice cheese into small cubes.

Wash peach in cold water and pat dry. Slice the peach into small pieces. Wash tomatoes in cold water and pat dry. Cut tomatoes in half. Wash parsley leaves in cold water and pat dry. Coarsely chop parsley, being careful to eliminate all stems as these are very difficult to chew. (Reserve parsley stems for soup or stew, tied in cheesecloth a bouquet garni.)

Using a slotted spoon, lift pasta out of water and into a clean bowl. Add mozzarella cheese to the pasta. Let sit for five to ten minutes so pasta can cool. Then add peach, tomatoes and parsley. Toss well. Top with olive oil and black pepper. Serve warm.

This makes just enough salad. There will not be leftovers.

Serves 4 people as a small side dish. 

Parsley Salad with Red Onion and Mandarin Dressing

 

1 bunch of Italian or flat leaf parsley

3 cherry tomatoes

1 small red onion

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 fresh sweet mandarin or tangerine

Salt and pepper

Directions: Wash parsley in cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife cut the leaves from the stems, until you have approximately 2 cups of parsley leaves. Reserve the stems for another use. It is not necessary to dice the leaves as they are in bite size portions. Wash cherry tomatoes and dry. Slice the tomatoes. Place parsley and tomatoes in a salad bowl and toss.

Red onion and mandarin dressing

If onion is recently from the ground wash and remove outer skin; otherwise simply remove the outer skin. Dice onion. Place olive oil and onion in small pan and sauté. Cut the mandarin in half. When onion is limp, squeeze the mandarin juice into the onion and olive oil. Stir and cook for a minute longer; cool slightly and pour on greens and tomatoes.

Serves 2 people.

Notes: This is a refreshing summer salad.

Parsley and Tomato Salad

6 sprigs of Italian, flat leafed parsley

1 large tomato

2 teaspoons olive oil

Lavender salt, optional

Pepper, optional

Chop parsley leaves, reserving stems for another use. Chop tomato. Toss the tomato and parsley with the olive oil. With just harvested parsley and tomatoes, condiments are optional; salt and pepper may be added to taste.

This makes 3 small servings of salad. It may also be used as a garnish. The volume of green leaves and red tomato is almost equal in this salad.