Winter Pasta Salad Food

WINTER PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Peel and finely slice the garlic, pick the thyme leaves, and clean and tear up the mushrooms. Shred up the leftover ham or turkey.
• Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet.
• Heat a little oil in a large pan, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until golden. Add the thyme, mushrooms, sea salt and black pepper and fry for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the ham or turkey, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, so everything gets some colour. Stir in the crème fraîche and remove the pan from the heat. Drain the pasta once cooked - saving a mugful of the cooking water - and let it cool slightly. Toss the pasta with a little oil, then stir into the sauce. Add a little cooking water to loosen, if needed.
• Stir in the spinach, add a good grating of Parmesan, squeeze in the lemon juice, then season to taste before serving.

WINTER FRUIT AND PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook farfalle at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 7 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
• Meanwhile, combine mandarin orange sections, kiwi, apple, pear, dried cranberries, pomegranate arils, and celery in a large bowl.
• Add pasta to the fruit salad, mixing until well combined.
• Whisk lime juice, honey, olive oil, and poppy seeds together in a small bowl. Pour over pasta salad and stir until combined. Place in the refrigerator until flavors have blended, about 30 minutes.

CHRISTMAS PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the cold water to stop the cooking. Let sit until cool, then drain and set aside.
• Return the water in the pot to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions for al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat evenly and refrigerate until cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil to a blender with the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, lemon juice, chives and 1/4 cup water and puree until completely smooth. Pour the pesto over top of the pasta and add the reserved broccoli, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently until well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with more chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.