During the spring and summer months I eat salads frequently, simply because there is so much selection in fruit and vegetables. Having said that, I prefer warm dinners over cold, so every now and then I make a lukewarm salad, as a compromise. Today I made a warm pasta dish that has many salad ingredients, but is still a warm pasta dish.
Guess what, if you prefer it cold, this would be an easy recipe to serve as a salad. As said, it has all the ingredients of a pasta salad.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Pasta – I used Cavatelli Pasta, one of my favorites; a small pasta with ridges.
- Cooked ham
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes – I was lucky to find mini San Marzano tomatoes; they are so full of flavor. When I find these tiny tomatoes, I usually buy extra, because during cutting, too many end up in my mouth.
- Parsley
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
How to Make Cucumber, Tomato and Ham Pasta
Step 1 – Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging.
Step 2 – Heat oil in a pan and cook the ham, just a little bit. Add the vegetables and warm them rather than cook them. You want the veggies to stay crunchy.
Step 3 – Drain the pasta and add it to the vegetables in the skillet and mix.
Step 4 – Add salt and pepper to taste, mix in some parsley.
No need for cream or oil or a heavy cheese sauce. Keep it light; it is almost summer. If you do like cheese, like I do, then shave some Parmigiano Reggiano on top.
Enjoy!
Cucumber, Tomato and Ham Pasta
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 4 ounces pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 ounces cooked ham
- 1/2 cucumber
- 8 ounces mini tomatoes
- 5 sprigs parsley
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
- Wash the cucumber and cut it in quarters and then in thin slices.
- Wash and cut the small tomatoes and cut the slices of cooked ham.
- Wash and chop the parsley and grate or the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the ham and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the cucumber and tomatoes and warm in the skillet, do not cook.
- Add pasta to vegetable mix and add salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.