Pasta salad with ham and vegetables
Pasta salad with ham and vegetables – perfect for lunch, barbecue or party.
Pasta is an incredibly versatile ingredient that works great not only in dinner dishes, but also in various salads and snacks. Thanks to the wide selection of its shapes and types, you can easily choose the right pasta for a specific dish. What’s more, pasta not only tastes great, but also looks great on a plate, making it an excellent base for many tasty dishes.
One of these tried-and-true pasta ideas is a simple pasta salad made with rice-shaped pasta, also known as orzo. I choose this type of pasta most often for salads, mainly because it cooks very quickly and its small shape blends perfectly with the other ingredients.
Of course, to get the full flavour and nutritional value, I add other carefully selected ingredients to the salad. These include diced ham and cheese, as well as fresh vegetables such as green cucumber, radish and olives. I combine everything with a light dressing based on Greek yoghurt with lemon juice, dill and garlic.
It is worth noting that this recipe for a salad without mayonnaise is perfect for people who have eliminated it from their diet or simply prefer lighter dishes. Thanks to this, the salad is tasty and filling, which makes it a great choice for any time of day.
I recommend serving this pasta salad with ham and vegetables as a quick lunch for work, but also at events such as meetings with friends or family. What’s more, it is perfect as an addition to a barbecue, served next to meat, sausages or grilled vegetables.
If you are looking for a quick, tasty and filling salad, this easy recipe for pasta salad without mayonnaise will surely meet your expectations.
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Ingredients for pasta salad with ham and vegetables.
- 250 g rice-shaped pasta (orzo)
- 1 medium bunch of radish
- 250 g salad cheese, feta type
- 1 big cucumber
- 300 g pork ham
- 100 g olives
- 3 tablespoons of chopped dill
- 2 big cloves of garlic
- 1 flat teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 200 g Greek yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
How to make pasta salad with ham and vegetables.
First, cut the ham into fairly large, but easy-to-eat pieces. Cut the green cucumber, along with the peel, into larger cubes or half-slices, depending on your preferences. Do the same with the radish, which is cut into larger pieces. Then cut the cheese (e.g. feta) into cubes.
Place the cooked and cooled pasta in a large bowl and add all the previously chopped vegetables, ham and olives.
Once the ingredients are in the bowl, it’s time to season the salad. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped dill, salt and pepper, and mashed garlic. Mix everything with Greek yoghurt, which will give the salad creaminess. Finally, mix all the ingredients thoroughly so that the flavours combine well.
Good to know when making pasta salad with ham and vegetables.
In this salad, you can use either cooked or smoked ham. It can be any poultry or pork ham.
How to cook pasta for salad.
Always cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. Orzo usually takes about 8-10 minutes to cook. Pasta cooked for 8-9 minutes will be al dente, and that is the kind of pasta that works best in this salad. Once cooked, pour the pasta into a colander and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process.
How to season a salad without mayonnaise.
Since most of my family avoids mayonnaise, a lot of the salads I make don’t contain it. I like to replace mayonnaise with natural or Greek yoghurt. Properly selected herbs and spices are also an important addition. In this recipe, I use freshly pressed garlic, fresh dill and lemon juice.
Do you like pasta salads? If so, try our recipe for Pasta salad fermented cucumbers and chickpeas.
