Tomato Pasta Salad
- Yield: 4 servings
Instead of the Sardinian fregola (available from kalustyans.com), you can use Arab mograbiah (from Middle Eastern grocers) or Israeli couscous. Or just leave out the fregola and double the quantity of couscous
Ingredients
- 3/4cup couscous
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- -- Olive oil
- 2/3cup boiling water
- 1cup fregola
- 2medium vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
- 3/4teaspoon brown sugar
- -- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1cup yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped oregano
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped tarragon
- 3tablespoons roughly chopped mint
- 1-- garlic clove, crushed
- 1small green tomato, cut into thin wedges
- 3/4cup red cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Pour boiling water over couscous, stir and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside 12 minutes, then remove the plastic wrap, separate the grains with a fork and let cool.
- Place the fregola in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer 18 minutes, or until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Let dry completely.
- Meanwhile, spread quartered vine tomatoes over half of a large baking pan and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and some oil over the top. Place in the oven. After about 20 minutes remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400F.
- On the empty side of the baking pan, spread yellow tomatoes. Season them with salt and pepper and drizzle with some oil. Return to oven and roast 12 minutes. Remove tomatoes and allow to cool.
- Mix together couscous and fregola in a large bowl. Add herbs, garlic, cooked tomatoes with all their juices, green tomato and cherry tomatoes. Very gently mix together using your hands. Taste for seasoning—you might need to add salt, pepper and some olive oil.