Fresh Herbs Shell Salad
Every now and again, I see articles on a ‘Must Haves List’ for keeping a well-stocked Pantry and am always curious to see what others consider among their essentials.
As far as fresh ingredients having a variety of fresh herbs on hand offers flexibility enhances flavor among any number of dishes.
Fresh herbs offer ease in preparing quick and easy dishes bursting with flavors and highlighted with fresh scents when you may are pressed for time as was the case when one of our two weekly travel games followed by our Team Family Tailgate that usually transpires on Saturdays and Sundays alternatively occurred on a Friday.
When it comes to my pantry ‘must haves’ during the sports season always include a couple of boxes of the old standby, Large Size Shells.
Fortunately, last week I had a nice selection of fresh herbs on hand from which to choose including the fresh parsley still thriving in my backyard garden.
Combining fresh chopped mint and basil along with the parsley added a fresh clean taste while enhancing between shell pasta and assorted ingredients celery, scallions, and frozen petite peas.
With a light coating of extra virgin olive oil, a couple of squeezes of fresh juice from a half of a lemon the combination only required some added seasoning of coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper, that’s it.
Having a ‘clean’ taste seems to be the operative word for this dish too as uniquely this is how a couple of the mom’s referred back to me on it really enjoying the combined flavor punch, including the added freshness from the mint. This dish also travels well.
Fresh Herbs Shell Salad.
Go Team.
Fresh Herbs Shell Salad
Notes
Recipe travels well and may be doubled for large group Tailgating: Take along a little extra olive oil, a half lemon, and some extra salt and pepper to freshen up salad before serving.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces large shell pasta, cooked, rinsed and tossed with a little olive oil, about 1 1/2 tablespoons
- 3 stalks celery, sliced thinly on a diagonal
- 6 scallions, thinly chopped
- 8 ounce frozen petite peas, thawed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- coarse kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
- For the Dressing:
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- juice from half a lemon, and little extra to taste before serving
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Cook shells to el dente in salted boiling water, drain, rinse, toss with a tablespoon olive oil and a couple pinches of salt, transfer to a large bowl
- Toss the celery, scallions and peas into the pasta then stir through the fresh herbs
- Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, Dijon, and fresh lemon juice, sprinkle in the salt and pepper
- Pour Dressing into the Pasta Salad, stir well to combine, check seasoning, adjust to taste, cover and refrigerate. Let set at room temperature for twenty minutes before serving, check seasoning again for additional oil, juice, or seasoning
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