Sesame Yogurt Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Contains: milk, wheat, fish, sesame (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• Sauce
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml warm water
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml plain or Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• fine grain sea salt
• Salad
• a big handful of broccoli florets
• a big handful of cauliflower florets
• a big handful of green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch segments
• 1/2 pound / 8 oz / 225 g stuffed pasta (ravioli, etc)
• a big handful/scoop of cherry tomatoes, raw or roasted
• a small handful torn basil and/or cilantro
• Get a big pot of water started - you are going to want to bring it to a boil.
• While the water is heating, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric. Stir well, and saute for just 15-30 seconds, or until the spices are toasted and fragrant. Transfer this mixture to a medium mixing bowl and stir in
• Salt the pot of water generously, and boil the broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. Boil just 30 seconds, and quickly fish out with a slotted spoon. Run the vegetables under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
• Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, then drain and run under cold water. Really try to shake off any extra water, then add to the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, and toss gently. You can toss with half of the sauce at this point, or serve the salad with dollops of the sa
• Adapted from the Pasta Salad with Tangy Sesame-Yogurt Sauce in Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.
• Prep time: 10 min -
• Cook time: 10 min
• Print Recipe

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne and turmeric, and saute 15-30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

3. Stir the warm water, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice and a pinch of fine sea salt into the spice mixture until smooth. Set the sauce aside.

4. Salt the boiling water generously. Add the broccoli, cauliflower and green beans and boil 30 seconds. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, run under cold water to stop cooking, drain well and place in a large mixing bowl.

5. Return the water to a boil and add the stuffed pasta. Cook until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water. Shake off as much water as you can.

6. Add the pasta and cherry tomatoes to the vegetables and toss gently. Add half of the sauce and toss again.

7. Scatter the torn basil and/or cilantro over the salad. Serve with the remaining sauce spooned on top as dollops or on the side.