PASTA SALAD FILLED WITH TUNA MOUSSE AND RAW TOMATO SAUCE

I do not want to believe that we are already in September. And, in the same way, I want to shake away the bad feeling that comes over me every year just after mid-August: oh my God, the summer is almost over. The signals are clear. The first gloomy days that seems to be the eve of Halloweens, my boyfriend has almost finished time off works, the advertising of the backpacks, the penholders, the school diaries, I no longer see the sun creams’ ad… Then I stop for a moment and come back to the recipe with which we had left: I was so happy for the holidays, sand everywhere, the barbecues, the discos, friends, pool parties, in other words “the summer”. And do you know how much time has passed? Only a month. So I refuse to accept this matter of fact: for me the summer this year does not end until I say so. Until I’m ready. Until it makes me want to wear parka and wait Santa Claus. So take these. Say no to September with me! And cook these “conchiglioni”- with – summer – taste. Arm yourself with a little ‘patience or time off (do not panic, they’re easy, it just takes a bit’ of care to fill the pasta) and I assure you it will be definitely worth it. I think they are perfect both as a starter, as a main course but also as a complete meal. This pasta salad is fresh, original, tasty and lift the spirits. Last but not least, let me just a moment to bask in the satisfaction I feel for having created them so good. And unless an haker has stolen me the recipe in the last few days, I can assure you that it’s original and unknown.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

Conchiglioni pasta 16 pieces
Ricotta cheese 100g
Cream fresh 100 gr
Tuna 160 gr
Plum and cherry tomatoes 250 gr
Pine nuts 30 gr
Black olives 50 gr
Basil, parsley, garlic to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper to taste

PROCESS

Boil salted water for the pasta and cook the conchiglioni long enough, then drain them. Put some olive oil in a frying pan, heat it gently with a clove of garlic and just before turning off the heat, add chopped parsley. This is the flavoring in that we will jump the cooked pasta. We’ll need it to avoid the terrible effect “cold pasta that if we launch it, it will paste on the wall”; the and also to give a sprint extra level of flavor and texture. We put them aside to cool and take care of the filling.

Work together both the cheese. Then add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and, after all, add the tuna. You will see that after a while it become almost a tuna mousse; when all is blended put aside and move on to the preparation of the sauce.

Premise that this preparation is just a treat, an irreverent sauce at the opposite side of the traditional tomatoes sauce. In fact it’s a cold sauce, without any cooking. Embarrassing in its simplicity, versatility and eclectic in its use. So, let’s start to prepare it. Wash tomatos, cut them in half and remove the seeds with a finger. Then, put them in a blender along with the salt, pepper and a little garlic. Poured into a small bowl the sauce and just now add oil (if we add in the blender it emulsifies). And also this is ready.

Roast the pine nuts with a little oil. If we really want to overdo we also can make a quick pesto: put basil, oil, salt and a few pine nuts in a mortar and crush all.

Now we just have to dial the dish: take the pasta, fill it halfway with raw tomato sauce, and the remaining half with the tuna cream. Decorate with a few toasted pine nuts, olives and a few slices of tomato and, finally, a few drops of pesto.

I’m very proud of my dish, but I really can not wait to know what you think about it!

Photography: Sara Cartelli.
© Immagini The Eat Culture.