Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Peas

This has been my favorite pasta salad recipe since I first found it in a 1993 issue of Gourmet Magazine. Serves 10-12 but can easily be cut in half.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/3 cup white-wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 teaspoons salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Tarragon, crumbled, or 2 teaspoons minced fresh

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1 pound medium pasta shells

  • 1/2 pound shelled fresh or frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups), boiled until tender and drained

  • 2 pints red or yellow pear tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or a combination, halved

  • 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

 PREPARATION:

  1. In a large pot of salted boiling water cook the pasta until it is tender, then rinse and drain it well. Set aside.

  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, the water, the salt, the sugar, the tarragon, the garlic, and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified.

  3. In the bowl toss the pasta with the dressing, add the peas, the tomatoes, and the basil, and toss the salad well.

RecipesSusan JohnsonComment