Easy Tomato and Pasta Salad

Serves 6

Season: Summer

101 Cookbooks

Whole-grain pasta, baby kale, basil, and the best tomatoes you can get your hands on get a generous drizzle of strong harissa dressing (garlic, harissa, nutritional yeast, etc.). This is exactly what you want to be making during peak tomato season, and you can whip up the dressing and slice the tomatoes as your pasta cooks. 

Recipe by 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 pound kale, loosely chopped or baby kale
  • 8 ounces dried whole-grain short pasta
  • 1 teaspoon whole caraway seeds
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons harissa paste
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup water or almond milk
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon tahini (optional)
  • 2 pounds of tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • lots of fresh basil, torn or thinly sliced
  • to serve, any or all of the following: herb flowers, thinly sliced makrut lime leaves, torn olives, chopped toasted almonds, cooked black or French lentils

Directions:

Arrange the kale in a large serving bowl. Cook the pasta in salted water per the package instructions, drain, and shake off any additional water.
 
Make the dressing by toasting the caraway in a dry skillet just until fragrant - a minute or two, tossing regularly. Transfer to a mortar and pestle, and crush the seeds. Add the garlic, and the salt, and crush into a paste. Work in the harissa, followed by the lemon juice, and then the water, eventually the nutritional yeast, and tahini (if using). Taste and add more salt if needed (I sometimes add a bit of sweetness at this step too if the lemon is too assertive).
 
Toss and Assemble the Pasta Salad. Just before serving pour 1/3 of the dressing over the kale and toss well. Add the pasta, another third of the dressing, and toss again. Arrange the tomatoes, and basil on top of the kale-pasta, and give the gentlest toss, being extra nice to the tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, and top with any of the suggestion extra toppings. Enjoy!

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