Tomato Cups With Pasta Salad Recipe 425

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to the package. Drain and cool slightly. Rinse the kale and remove the thick stems. If using spinach, wash thoroughly and pull off stems. Slice into 2-inch ribbons. Remove the heavy stems from the basil and reserve 10 small leaves for garnish. Roughly chop the garlic cloves and add them to the bowl of a food processor with the kale or spinach, basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until roughly chopped. While the motor is running, pour the oil slowly through the feed tube until the mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper and pulse twice to combine. Reserve ½ cup of the pesto for the recipe. The remainder can be reserved to use on pasta, sandwiches or as a salad dressing for tomatoes and avocados. Slice off approximately ¼ of an inch from the top of each tomato (stem side). Reserve. Scoop out the tomato guts and reserve for another recipe, like a tomato sauce or our Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup and Strawberry-Tomato Salsa recipes. Cut the flesh of the tomato tops into small cubes. Drain the feta and cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Mix pesto with the pasta and grated squash. Gently fold in the olives, feta, and cubed tomato. Taste for seasoning. Scoop the pasta salad into the tomato cups. Serve garnished with a small basil leaf. * Chef's note: Lacinato Kale, otherwise known as Dinosaur Kale, is beloved for its earthy flavor. It is slightly sweeter and more delicate than Curly Kale.

Steps:

• Holding back the sun-dried tomatoes with your fingers, drain the oil from the jar into a large pot. Coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the pot, along with the nuts and olive oil. Set over medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the nuts are toasted, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl (reserve the pot), then stir in the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• Fill the reserved pot with water (no need to wash) and bring to a boil. Season water with salt, add the pasta and cook until just past al dente. (The pasta will not cook further in the sauce.) Drain the pasta.
• While the water is coming to a boil, coarsely chop the ripe tomatoes. Add to the sun-dried tomato mixture, season with 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. (Tomato mixture can be made up to 2 hours ahead.)
• Add the drained pasta to the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Let sit until room temperature, about 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Pasta salad will keep up to 3 days if refrigerated.
• When ready to eat, taste the pasta salad. If flavors are muted, add salt and lemon juice or red wine vinegar. If it's too sweet, add black pepper and lemon juice or red wine vinegar. Stir in the greens and eat.

Steps:

• Whisk 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, basil and garlic in large bowl to blend. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add corn to dressing in bowl. Add tomatoes, pasta and cheese to bowl and toss to blend. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, capers, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, the whole basil sprig and anchovies if using. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir in 1/2 cup oil. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. The tomatoes should be aggressively seasoned. Let tomatoes marinate for at least 1 hour and preferably 2 to 3.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just al dente, usually a minute less than the package instructions. Drain well. Add to bowl with tomatoes while still warm and toss well. Let pasta cool, soaking up the dressing. Let pasta sit at room temperature for at least another hour and up to 6 hours before serving. Or chill for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature before serving.
• Just before serving, gently fold in torn basil leaves. Top with more olive oil and cracked black pepper before serving.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; chill. , Line two serving plates with lettuce. Cut tomatoes, but not all the way through, into six wedges; place on lettuce and separate wedges slightly. , Gently stir chow mein noodles into tuna salad; spoon into the center of each tomato.