Warm Pastina Salad

I have a box of dried pastina sitting in the pantry for a while now. Initially, mum wanted to do something with it. That didn't happen. I wasn't in the mood for soup but thought I should be able to make a pasta salad with it. For those of you who has never use pastina, it is a small star shaped pasta that the Italians love using in soup for little children.

I like pastina as it is light and easy on the stomach. To jazz it up, I used the Chimichurri dressings which I have made previously and sauteed some vegetables to go with the pastina. The result is a quick and easy meal. Good enough on its own!

Warm Pastina Salad
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 cup dried pastina
5 Tbsp Chimichurri dressings
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Dash of white wine
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1: Boil the pastina according to package direction. Drain well with a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.

Step 2: In a pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic till onion is translucent.

Step 3: Add in the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Add in a dash of wine to help create steam to soften the vegetables. Cook for 3-5 mins till vegetables has softened slightly but still retain its crunch.

Step 4: In a large bowl, combine the sauteed vegetables, chimichurri dressings, lemon zest and juice. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve at room temperature or cold. It is perfect as a meal on its own or a side dish.