Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Mussels
Ingredients
2 servings
- Shrimp (large) 10
- Mussels (meat) 150 g
- Pasta (mini penne rigate) 1 cup (100 g)
- Water for boiling the pasta 2 l
- Salt for boiling the pasta 14 g (7 g per 1 l of water)
- Broccoli 100 g
- Water for boiling the broccoli and seafood as needed
- Sugar 0.5 tsp (2 g)
- Garlic 2-3 cloves
- Olive oil 4-5 tbsp
- Parmesan 50 g
- Basil 4-5 sprigs
- Red kidney beans (canned) 1 can
- Salt, black pepper a pinch each (for the dressing)
Step-by-step recipe
Cheese, broccoli and seafood
As a good appetizer should be, following the canons of Mediterranean cuisine: vegetables, legumes, herbs, cheese, seafood and olive oil. And all the ingredients are easy to find.
The salad is quick and easy to make. What is more, you can make it ahead and serve it later. After a stay in the refrigerator the salad soaks up the dressing and becomes especially tasty.
Make the Parmesan and basil mixture. Grate the Parmesan as finely as possible and mix with finely chopped basil leaves. If a fine grater is a problem, do this: grate it on whatever grater you have, put the Parmesan in a blender, add a handful of basil leaves and chop it all. You get an almost dry, yellow-green mixture that is very loose. That is exactly how it should be.
Boil the broccoli, divided into florets, in boiling water with 0.5 tsp of sugar (2 g) added: 3–4 mins from the moment it boils, over medium heat. Amazingly, if you boil green vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, green beans) in sweetened water, they keep their fresh green color. Lift the broccoli out with a slotted spoon and let it cool.
In the same water boil the mussel meat and shrimp, also 3–4 mins. No longer, or the seafood turns rubbery. Put the boiled mussels in a bowl and cool to room temperature. Peel the shrimp, removing the shell from the body so that only the tail meat remains.
Pasta and beans
Penne is the best pasta here: short tubes with diagonally cut ends. This pasta is called penne rigate, and the very short kind is called mini penne rigate. In a pinch you can cook regular penne and chop it smaller with a knife.
Cook the pasta. In a pot bring 2 l of water with 14 g of salt (7 g per 1 l of water) to a boil over high heat, add the pasta and cook for the time on the package, until soft but still firm.
Drain the pasta in a colander, let the water run off and cool to room temperature, covering it with a plate so the pasta does not dry out.
Rinse the canned red beans lightly with water and let the excess moisture drain.
Dressing
Make the dressing. Peel the garlic and crush it in a mortar with a pinch of salt and black pepper to a paste. Add the olive oil and stir. You get a fragrant dressing for the salad.
Assembly
Put the cooled pasta on a large dish. Top with the red beans, mussels and broccoli.
Arrange the peeled shrimp.
Sprinkle the salad with the mixture of ground Parmesan and basil and pour over the dressing of garlic and olive oil.
Serving
You can serve it right away without tossing. But it is better to mix all the ingredients and let the salad stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour so it soaks up the dressing and aroma.
An exceptionally tasty salad and a healthy dish.
Calories and macros
920 kcal
Serving ≈ 500 g
- Protein64 g29% of kcal
- Fat42 g43% of kcal
- Carbs63 g29% of kcal
100 g183 kcalProtein 12.7 gFat 8.3 gCarbs 12.6 g
Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.