We are in the middle of the most beautiful and warm season of the year and a pasta salad is always a good idea to enjoy a fresh dish with tasty and colorful ingredients. Cold pasta in the summer is now a fixed presence on our menus because it is simple to prepare and preserve, versatile and suitable for all tastes.

For our recipe we have chosen a mix of simple ingredients and added a touch of creativity: tuna, cherry tomatoes and pistachio pesto for an explosion of freshness and taste.

Pistachios pesto, the Sicilian variant of a great classic

When we talk about pesto it is difficult don't to think of the classic genovese sauce, prepared with basil, garlic and pine nuts. In reality there are so many regional versions that include the same processes (the pounding) with different ingredients.

One of the most famous is the Sicilian one, made with the famous Bronte pistachios, extra virgin olive oil, basil, garlic and parmesan. The preparation of pesto is really simple: the ingredients should be placed in the mixer by adding a little water, salt and pepper and ground for a few seconds.

In addition to basil, it is possible to add other aromatic herbs, such as marjoram or mint, or add almonds or walnuts.

Once ready, the pesto can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen in special containers up to 2 months.

Datterino Tomato, the fruit friend of the palate and well-being

The Datterino Tomato, compared to other tomato varieties, has a typical elongated "date" shape and has a very high degree of sweetness. Its skin is very thin and a bright red color. The taste is clean and determined with a compact and solid flesh that allows it to be kept longer than other tomato varieties.

But that's not all: the datterini also have many beneficial properties. Poor in calories and rich in mineral salts, vitamins and anti-oxidants, they are rich in lycopene and polyphenols that act against cholesterol oxidation, counteract the action of free radicals and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is indeed an ingredient that is good for taste and health!

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS

400 g Antonio Amato Whole Wheat Fusilli

200 g tuna in olive oil

120 g pistachios pesto

fresh basil to taste

salt to taste

Antonio Amato extra virgin olive oil to taste

DIRECTIONS

Let's start by cooking the pasta, boil the salted water in a saucepan and cook the whole Antonio Amato fusilli. Remember to drain them a couple of minutes before the cooking time indicated on the package. As soon as it is poured, the pasta should be seasoned with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and left to cool for a couple of minutes in the colander.

Once it has cooled down, transfer the pasta to a large bowl and sprinkle it with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the pesto: pistachios can be either sweet or savory or toasted, choose according to your personal tastes and the speed of sauce making. The sweet ones will previously be blanched to easily remove the cuticle, the salty ones, instead only peeled and cleaned.

To make this preparation even easier, put all the ingredients in the mixer by combining the pistachios with Parmesan, basil and garlic and then pour in them. of water, salt and pepper. In addition to basil it is possible to add other herbs to give a more aromatic touch to pesto, such as marjoram or mint. You can also add some almond or walnut, they are two ingredients that go well with pistachio.

The first condiment that goes together with fusilli is just the pesto, pour it into the bowl with the pasta and mix it with a nice stir.

Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half, add salt and add them to the fusilli with pesto.

Then drain the tuna in the olive oil, chop it and add it to the rest of the ingredients.

Now that you have entered all the elements of the dish, all that is missing is a final stir, the inevitable garnish with fresh basil and the perfect dish for the summer is ready!