Quick Angel Hair Pasta Salad with Chilli - a fast and easy pasta salad packed with fresh chilli, garlic, coriander (cilantro) and lemon, and finished off with parmesan cheese.
Cook your pasta according to packet directions, then rinse and drain, and place in a large bowl.
250 g angel hair pasta
In a small frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer in the pan, then switch off the heat and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then add crushed garlic finely chopped chillies and grated lemon zest to the oil and stir to infuse the flavours into the oil as it cools further.
¼ cup olive oil, 2 long red chillies, 4 large fresh garlic cloves, 1 lemon
Add chopped coriander to the bowl with the pasta, along with the chilli and garlic oil mixture and mix well to coat.
1 cup fresh coriander leaves (firmly packed)
Add lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve.
⅓ cup parmesan cheese, salt & pepper to taste, 1 lemon
Notes
This is a great salad to make ahead, just add the parmesan cheese just before you serve it.
I have used angel hair pasta for this salad, but you could use another type of pasta if you like. This will add to the cooking time though.
I allow the olive oil to cool slightly before adding the chilli, garlic & lemon because I don't want to "fry" these ingredients as such. I want tto gently heat them so they flavour the oil, which we then use as a dressing for the pasta salad along with fresh lemon juice.
Not keen on coriander (cilantro)? Substitute fresh parsley!
I have removed the seeds from the chilli, so the chilli heat is only mild. Feel free to leave them in if you want it hotter!
*Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*