Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 12

Pasta e Fagioli Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

You know pasta e fagioli as a hearty soup that stars the tiny pasta tubes called ditalini and creamy white beans, perfect for chilly nights. But there’s no reason to “table” this great combination when you can give it a summery twist: a salad composed of all its delicious ingredients, plus a sweet-tart vinaigrette great for all kinds of salads. If you can’t find ditalini, you can use any small-sized pasta—the idea is to get a variety close to the size of the beans. For another layer of flavor, top with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar of Modena 
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 garlic clove, minced 
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups cooked cannellini beans or one 29-ounce can, rinsed and drained
  • 3 cups cooked pasta, such as ditalini
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes 
  • 1 medium red onion, slivered
  • 2 tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley and basil, plus more for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together the two vinegars, mustard, honey, salt, and garlic. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 2

Place the beans, pasta, tomatoes, red onion, and herbs in a large glass bowl and pour on the vinaigrette. Toss gently to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled, garnished with more herbs.

Yields 6 generous servings

Roasted Ratatouille

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

All the flavors of seasonal bounty meld together in this dish. Rather than cooking it on the stovetop, it’s roasted in the oven, with minimal attention. This technique helps preserve the taste and texture of the individual vegetables, even as they cook in each other’s juices, and creates more of a caramelized medley than a stew. Ratatouille makes a delicious side dish, a topping for grilled bread or pasta, and a hearty sauce for roasted chicken or fish.

Ingredients

  • 1 small eggplant, about 1 pound 
  • 1-1/2 pounds tomatoes, any variety
  • 1 pound zucchini or summer squash, green and/or yellow
  • 3 yellow, orange, or red bell peppers
  • 1 large onion, about 1 pound
  • 8 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for the pans
  • 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar from Modena, plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cut all the vegetables into roughly 1-inch diced pieces and mix together along with the garlic in a large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of olive oil and the salt, and toss to coat. Lightly oil two rimmed sheet pans (or line them with parchment paper) and divide the vegetables between them. Roast the veggies for a total of 3 hours.

Step 2

After the first hour, as the vegetables give up their moisture and shrink in volume, combine them in one of the sheet pans; after the second hour, flip the veggies with a large spatula.

Step 3

When done, transfer the vegetables back to the large bowl, taking care to get all the juices. Season with pepper, drizzle on the last tablespoon of olive oil and the vinegar, and sprinkle with the parsley.

Serves 8

Six Bean Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This twist on a traditional three bean salad really moves the needle for flavor—double the beans, double the taste. For color, texture, and nutrients, I love adding green (string) beans to the mix—from long beans to slim French haricots verts, there are many fresh options available now. For the legumes in this recipe, canned beans are great for convenience—just rinse and drain them before adding them to your mixing bowl. If you want to prepare your own ingredients by using dried beans, you can soak and cook most of the varieties together. The exceptions to this strategy are the chickpeas (because they have a much shorter cooking time) and the black beans (because they could tint the white beans).

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 garlic clove, peeled and minced 
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:

  • 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and steamed
  • 1 cup cooked gigante or cannellini beans
  • 1 cup cooked red kidney beans
  • 1 cup cooked black beans
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1 cup cooked lima beans

Directions

Step 1

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, garlic, and pepper flakes. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with black pepper and more salt if desired. Set aside.

Step 2

In a very large bowl, gently toss all the beans together and then pour on the vinaigrette. Toss again and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to help the flavors meld before refrigerating. 

Yields 12 servings

Summer Squash in Tomato Broth with Quinoa Timbales

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro nearly eradicated quinoa from the world during his quest to destroy the Incas. But high in the mountains, some plants survived. A seed rather than a grain, quinoa gives this dish substance.

Ingredients

For the quinoa timbales:

  • 1 cup pre-washed white or black quinoa
  • Vegetable broth
  • Extra virgin olive oil for oiling the ramekins

For the squash:

  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • One large white onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 1/2 pounds zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, trimmed and diced
  • 1 to 2 jalapeños, sliced into rounds (optional)
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, chives, or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Prepare the quinoa according to the package directions using vegetable broth instead of water. Oil 6 ramekins or timbale molds and pack with the quinoa. Keep warm.

Step 2

Combine the garlic, half the onion, and the tomatoes in a blender jar or food processor and process until puréed. Heat a large nonreactive skillet. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and the remaining onions and sauté them over medium heat until soft but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 3

Add the squash and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato mixture and the jalapeños, if using. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then add salt to taste.

Step 4

To serve, tip the quinoa timbales into the centers of 6 shallow soup bowls. Ladle the squash and tomato mixture around each timbale. Drizzle with additional olive oil, then sprinkle with chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

Serves 6