Cold pasta salad with salmon, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes

When someone asks for pasta with salmon in August, the answer cannot be to turn on the stove for half an hour. So here is the solution: a cold pasta salad with smoked salmon, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes that is prepared in a jiffy and eaten nice and cool.

It doesn’t have cream, mayonnaise, cheese, or any of those sauces that end up feeling heavy as soon as the heat hits. Just smoked salmon, seasonal vegetables, plenty of basil, lemon, and a good virgin olive oil.

It is also one of those recipes that you prepare, put in the fridge, and take to the campsite, the beach, or the office without any problem. And along the way, I’m going to tell you a couple of things you should never do with pasta, even if it’s for a salad. Let’s go!

Main ingredients

For 2 people

⏱ Preparation time: 15 min
⏱ Cooking time: 12 min
🔥 Calories: 560 kcal per serving

• 160 g fusilli or short pasta
• 100 g smoked salmon
• 200 g zucchini
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• 8 basil leaves
• 1/2 organic lemon
• Virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

The pasta, of course, should be a short shape: classic fusilli work wonderfully. A curious thing happens with zucchini: the smaller they are, the better, because their flavor is much more concentrated. And make sure the lemon is organic, because we are going to use the zest.

Remember: At the end of the article, you will find the complete recipe card with detailed cooking and preparation times.

How to prepare the cold pasta salad with salmon

First, let the cherry tomatoes marinate

Cut the tomatoes in half and let them marinate while you prepare the rest. Half an hour is ideal, but if it’s a little less, nothing happens. In a bowl: salt, pepper, basil, olive oil, and give it a stir.

Brown the zucchini without salt

Cut the zucchini and aromatize the oil in the pan with a few sprigs of basil. Remove them before adding the zucchini. And now the important part: don’t add salt yet. Salt releases water, and the crosticcina, that golden crust that gives it all the flavor, won’t form.

It’s not about overcooking it: what we want is for it to brown well but keep its freshness and crunchiness. When it has that beautiful color, then yes, a pinch of salt, a toss, and that’s it. Then transfer it to a bowl.

Aromatize the zucchini with lemon and basil

Zest a little lemon peel over it, add black pepper, more basil torn by hand, and another drizzle of oil. Mix and set aside.

Then, cook the pasta and take it out early

Put the water to boil and salt it; it doesn’t matter if you do it before or when it starts boiling. Add the pasta and take it out a minute or a minute and a half early. Drain it, transfer it to a bowl, and add a little oil so it doesn’t stick.

Cut the salmon to your liking

Cut the smoked salmon however you like, thinner or thicker. If you cut it too thin, you won’t notice it later, so I prefer a size that you can feel when you bite into it.

Prepare the dressing and mix everything

In a bowl, a little lemon juice (don’t overdo it), salt, black pepper, and plenty of virgin olive oil. Stir well.

Then combine everything in a large bowl: the tomatoes with their juices, the zucchini, the salmon, and the dressing. Mix carefully and taste to see if it needs anything.

Serve and enjoy

Plate it and finish with a little more pepper, a few basil leaves, a bit more lemon zest, and a drizzle of virgin olive oil. You can eat it immediately or leave it in the fridge and take it wherever you want.

Tricks and tips for a perfect cold pasta salad

Never run the pasta under the tap

This is the most important one of all. Even if you are going to eat it cold, do not take the pasta and run it under water. Take it out a minute or a minute and a half early, drain it, put it in a bowl, and add a little oil so it doesn’t stick. That is more than enough, and the pasta retains all its flavor.

Take care of each ingredient separately

This is the trick that changes the result in simple preparations. The marinated tomatoes on one side, the browned zucchini on another, the dressing separately. Yes, you can put everything in at once, but don’t be lazy: the result is not the same.

Salt on the zucchini, always at the end

If you add salt at the beginning, the zucchini releases water and steams instead of browning. First the crosticcina, then the salt.

Basil, torn by hand

No knife: basil should be torn with your fingers so it doesn’t oxidize and take on that dark tone and metallic taste.

Zest the lemon upside down

Move the lemon over the grater instead of the grater over the lemon. This way you have much better control and don’t reach the white part, which is what makes it bitter.

Taste as you go

Taste each element separately before putting it all together. If the zucchini needs a pinch of salt, this is the time to add it, not when it’s already mixed with the rest.

Related recipes you will love

If you like fresh summer dishes and pasta with real ingredients, here is where to continue:

• Pasta alla checca: the Roman cold pasta with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, ready in ten minutes.
• Pasta salad with zucchini and peanut and mint pesto: another take on zucchini, this time raw and grated.
• Tuscan Panzanella: the Tuscan bread salad, the queen of Italian summer tables.

Enjoy your cold pasta salad with salmon!

In the end, it turns out that the simplest recipes are the ones that require the most attention: each ingredient on its own, salt at the right moment, and pasta treated as it deserves.

Go ahead and prepare it and tell me in the comments how it turned out, or what you added to it.

If you liked this recipe, subscribe to my YouTube channel and Instagram to discover more authentic Italian dishes. Leave a comment with your impressions and share your photos on social media. I’d love to see your creations!

Bon appétit!

Cold pasta salad with salmon, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes

Cold pasta salad with smoked salmon, golden zucchini, and marinated cherry tomatoes, without cream or heavy sauces. Fresh, light, and perfect for taking to the beach or the office.

• Dish
  First course
• Cuisine
  Italian
• Preparation time
  15 minutes
• Cooking time
  12 minutes
• Total time
  27 minutes
• Servings
  2
• Calories
  560 kcal
• Author
  Mia Villar Raurich
• Tags
  Italian cuisine, pasta salad, to-go, cold pasta, summer recipe, easy recipe, smoked salmon, lactose-free

Ingredients

• 160 g fusilli or short pasta
• 100 g smoked salmon
• 200 g zucchini
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• 8 hojas fresh basil
• ½ unidad organic lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half
2. Marinate them with salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil for half an hour
3. Flavor the oil in the pan with a few sprigs of basil and then remove them
4. Brown the sliced zucchini without adding salt so that a crust forms
5. Salt the zucchini only at the end and give it a quick toss
6. Transfer the zucchini to a bowl with lemon zest, pepper, hand-torn basil, and oil
7. Boil plenty of salted water for the pasta
8. Cook the pasta and drain it one minute before the indicated time
9. Transfer the pasta to a bowl with a little oil so it doesn’t stick, without cooling it under the tap
10. Cut the smoked salmon into strips that are neither too thin nor too thick
11. Prepare the dressing with lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and extra virgin olive oil
12. Mix the pasta with the tomatoes and their juices, the zucchini, the salmon, and the dressing
13. Taste and adjust salt if necessary
14. Serve with pepper, fresh basil, lemon zest, and a drizzle of oil

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