‘Tis the season for picnic-ready salads here in the ol’ U.S. of A, especially with July 4th coming up this weekend. And because nothing goes together with amateur pyrotechnic displays as well as easy-to-eat and easy-to-share food from a cooler, I’m here to help with a delicious garlic-filled pasta salad.
A bonus is that there is minimal stove time involved (just however long it takes to boil water and cook your pasta of choice) so you don’t have to sweat it out too much to put this together. This is vitally important when you live in a city where air conditioning is a luxury and not a given, despite outside temperatures regularly reaching rotisserie-levels. Seattleites insist that the heat wave will only last for about a month.
“Only.”
I discovered sea beans (also known as samphire) a few weekends ago when I came across a package of them at the Japanese supermarket. I definitely am the type to buy an intriguing ingredient even if I have no idea on what it is, so I threw it into my cart. What I found is that sea beans are surprisingly salty and briny. They grow in saltwater marshes and beaches, and the texture is crunchy and crisp. Cut into bite-sized stalks, it’s a great salty accent to salads (like this one!).
This is just as good — if not even better — the next day, so make a batch the night before and stash it in your fridge until it’s picnic time.
Garlicky Tomato Pasta Salad with Sea Beans
Yield: serves 4-5
Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
2 lbs very ripe tomatoes, chopped (retain juices and seeds)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb pasta of choice (I used camparelle)
1/2 cup basil, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sea beans, chopped into 1-inch pieces
ground black pepper
Combine the tomatoes (including the seeds and juices), garlic, salt, vinegar, sugar, red pepper, and olive oil in a large bowl. Cover with plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Cook the pasta until it is one minute from al dente. Drain and immediately toss it into the tomato mixture and stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add in the basil and sea beans and stir to combine thoroughly. Serve warm or chilled.
