Cold pasta/picnic recipes

Does anyone have any yummy cold pasta recipes or any other recipes that they can share that are suitable for picnics? something easy to prep and can be eaten cold as i don't like the idea of having hot food stewing under the hot sun!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad



Easy to make, great hot or cold. Serves 4 as a starter.



Ingredients

60g Pesto alla Genovese

115g sundried tomatoes in oil

110g dried pasta (I think penne works best with this recipe)

60g black olives, pitted

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

90ml extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper



Method

1. Cook and drain the pasta. If serving cold, drain with cool water.

2. To make the dressing, beat together the pesto, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season well.

3. Combine all the pasta and the dressing.

4. Double check the seasoning and serve.




A bit more fiddly but this is great because you can make it the night before and chill it. By the time you eat it, it will be at "room temperature".


Tuna salad sandwich

Serves 4


Ingredients

4 petit pain or pain rustique rolls

2 garlic cloves, halved

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

200g tuna in olive oil, drained (fillets if you can find them)

12 cherry tomatoes, sliced

pack of fresh basil, roughly torn

16 black olives, stones removed and sliced

16 capers, drained and rinsed

2 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped

8 pickled silverskin onions, halved

4 tsp balsamic vinegar


Method

1. Slice the rolls in half and scrape out most of the fluffy insides to leave shells (you can save this, make into breadcrumbs and freeze).

2. Rub the garlic over the insides of the rolls, then drizzle with half the oil.

3. Flake the tuna roughly over the base of the rolls.

4. Top with the tomatoes, basil, olives, capers, anchovy and onions.

5. Drizzle with the remaining oil and vinegar and season with freshly ground black pepper.

6. Wrap them in foil and chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

7. Bring them back to room temperature before eating.

Mini fruit cakes

Makes about 16


Very easy to make.


Ingredients

150g butter

300g sultanas

300g currants

180g soft brown sugar

1 tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

250ml water

2 eggs, well beaten

150g plain flour

150g self-raising flour


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Combine the butter, sultanas, currants, sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon, ginger, bicarbonate of soda and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Add the eggs and beat well.

4. Sift the two flours together, add to the mixture, and beat thoroughly.

5. Pour into lightly greased muffin trays lined with muffin paper cases. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6. Allow to cool before removing from the moulds.


BTW, these will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.

If you are in Spore, the easiest is to buy a Hainanese steamed or roasted chicken which comes with their special sauce. You can request for it to be deboned & meat cut into smaller chunks.


Serve with cold pasta or noodles with some deseeded cucumber slices ( fresh or seasoned earlier in 2Tlb of Kikoman soya sauce).