Ingredients
- 250 g lumache (pasta snails) or other hollow shapes
- ⅓ cup (20 g) chopped fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup (20 g) chopped fresh mint
- ⅓ cup (20 g) snipped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 200 g low–fat natural yogurt
- 1 avocado
- salt and pepper
- sprigs of fresh mint to garnish
- Cucumber salsa
- 4 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 green capsicum, seeded and finely diced or chopped
- ½ telegraph cucumber, diced or chopped
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced or chopped
- grated zest of 1 lime (optional)
- 50 g watercress, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 100 g dried mango slices, diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 crisp apple
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in boiling water for 10–12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente.
- Meanwhile, mix the parsley, mint, chives and tarragon with the tomatoes in a large bowl (the bowl should be large enough to take the cooked pasta too).
- Add a little seasoning and then gently stir in the yogurt.
- Drain the cooked pasta thoroughly, shaking the shapes in a colander to make sure that there is no cooking water trapped in them.
- Add the hot pasta to the yogurt dressing and use a large spoon to turn them until they are thoroughly coated.
- Cover and set aside to cool until just warm.
- The pasta salad tastes good warm or it can be served cold, in which case leave to cool completely, then chill for 1 hour.
- The pasta can be dressed several hours in advance if this is more convenient.
- Meanwhile, mix together the celery, capsicum, cucumber and spring onions.
- Stir in the lime zest, if using, the watercress and diced dried mango.
- Cover and set aside.
- Shortly before serving, stir the oil into the cucumber mixture with seasoning to taste.
- Quarter, core and finely dice the apple, leaving its peel on.
- Add to the cucumber salsa and stir well so the apple is mixed in.
- Halve the avocado and remove the stone, then cut it lengthwise into quarters and peel off the skin.
- Dice the flesh and mix it into the pasta.
- Serve the cucumber salsa as an accompaniment to the pasta so that it can be added to taste.
- (The hot pasta absorbs its yogurt dressing, becoming quite dry as it cools, so the cucumber salsa acts as a second dressing.
- ) Garnish with sprigs of mint and serve immediately.
Serves 4
Preparation: 30-40 minutes, plus cooling and 1 hour optional chilling
Cooking: about 10 minutes