Perfect summer salad — grilled hot-smoked salmon over wholegrain pasta with fennel, asparagus, and a fresh basil dressing.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water according to the package instructions. Drain and let it cool down a bit — drizzle a little oil over it so it doesn't stick together.
Snap or cut off the woody ends of the asparagus, then cook in lightly salted water for 1–2 minutes. Drain and cool quickly in cold water (with ice cubes if you have them) to keep that nice green colour. Cut into smaller pieces.
Slice the fennel into thin strips — a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler works great here. Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the red onion into thin strips.
Blend the basil with a hand blender or small food processor. Add the oil and blend until you have a smooth, green herb dressing. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Put the hot-smoked salmon on the grill and cook for 1–2 minutes on each side, until it gets a nice grilled surface and is warmed through.
Toss together the pasta, asparagus, fennel, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and rocket, then spread it out on a large serving platter. Break the warm salmon into chunky pieces and lay them on top. Scatter a few fresh basil leaves over for garnish, grate the lemon zest on top, and drizzle some of the herb dressing over just before serving — or serve it on the side.
No children added
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within two days. The dressing soaks into the pasta overnight, so add a splash of oil and a squeeze of lemon to freshen it up before serving. This one doesn't freeze well at all, the rocket turns to mush and the salmon texture suffers.
A cold glass of dry white wine works well here, something like a Sauvignon Blanc or a light Pinot Grigio. Crusty bread on the side is good if you're feeding a crowd and want to stretch it a bit.
Everything cooks together in one foil packet — the salmon, asparagus, and tomatoes all steam in their own juices. Top with crumbled feta and serve with a punchy dijon mayo.
Juicy grilled pork tenderloin alongside a proper Greek salad — this is the kind of summer dinner you keep coming back to.
Ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for the park or beach. The basil dressing is what makes it.