Make this salad when cherry tomatoes are in season and at their sweetest, then serve it warm for a summer lunch (sunshine optional). It’s best to use ripe hass avocados, as they have such a creamy texture and collapse into the warm pasta. You can always pack this salad to take on a picnic or eat any leftovers for a workday lunch.
Serves 4
olive oil 4 tbsp
red onions 2, thinly sliced into half-moons
garlic 4 cloves, finely chopped
cherry tomatoes 300g, halved
avocados 2, flesh cubed
lemon grated zest of 1 and juice of ½
black kalamata olives 60g, stoned and halved
dried orzo 250g
parsley a bunch, leaves picked and finely chopped
mint a bunch, leaves picked and finely chopped
basil a bunch, leaves picked and torn
parmesan 30g, finely grated
pine nuts 3 tbsp, toasted
Gently warm the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and scatter over a large pinch of salt. Stir everything together, cover with a lid and cook on a medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Take the lid off, stir again, and cook uncovered for a further 5 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium, add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the tomatoes soften and start to burst a little, take the pan off the heat and set to one side to cool slightly.
Place the avocado in a large bowl and toss it in the zest and lemon juice. Add the tomato mixture and the olives and stir everything together, then set aside while you cook the pasta.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and season it well with table salt. Cook the orzo according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the avocados and tomatoes, along with all the chopped herbs and the parmesan.
Mix well and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer the salad to a large bowl, preferably set outside for a summer lunch, and scatter over a handful of toasted pine nuts.
VARIATION For a vegan version, replace the parmesan with 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or 3 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts.
From Pasta Masterclass by Mateo Zielonka (Quadrille , £26). To order a copy for £22.88 go to guardianbookshop.com
