This light summer tagliolini pasta recipe from a restaurant in Bologna is really tasty, fresh and healthy. It’s also has a no-cook sauce, meaning all you have to cook is the pasta. So, perfect for summer and easy week night meals.
Tagliolini Estivi.
I first came across this recipe in a huge Italian recipe book I bought last year. This book has 5,000 regional recipes. Not all are pasta, of course, but there are a lot of delicious sounding pasta dishes in it that I want to make!
The recipe origins.
According to the author of the above mentioned book, this summer tagliolini recipe was invented by Irene Diolaiti, the owner of Da Cesari restaurant in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. I looked up the restaurant on the Internet and found a photo of this dish in their photo gallery. It looked so good, I decided to give it a try!
This isn’t a typical summer pasta salad recipe because it’s made with fresh tagliolini. Most pasta salads, or ‘pasta fredda’ as the Italians say, are made with short pasta types. However, tagliolini is a long narrow egg pasta that’s usually eaten fresh and is popular in Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Piedmont and Molise.
I have one other summer pasta recipe here on the Pasta Project that’s similar to this recipe. Vermicelli di Positano is made with a long pasta (vermicelli) and the condiment is marinated raw veggies and herbs. The main difference between the two dishes is that this summer tagliolini recipe has a greater variety of raw veggies, whilst the vermicelli recipe has more herbs. Both are delicious!
The vegetables.
This summer tagliolini pasta recipe is brilliant for really warm days when you just can’t face standing over a hot stove! It is fresh, tasty and healthy! Some of the raw veggies also add a bit of crunch to the dish! Because the vegetables are only marinated, I chose to buy organic veggies. Here in Italy, organic vegetables and fruit are more expensive than the normal ones available in supermarkets. But, when it comes to eating raw, I prefer to use them. Also organic veg tastes better in my opinion.
This summer tagliolini pasta recipe has fresh cherry tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, celery and red bell peppers, all cut into small cubes. There’s garlic, basil and lemon juice to add more flavour and I marinated everything in very good extra virgin olive oil for an hour before mixing the pasta with the vegetables.
The pasta.
The other step that adds flavour to this recipe is that the pasta is cooked in beef broth. You can use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian. I used homemade beef broth. However, a good ready-made stock cube added to the pasta water would add extra flavour too!
Fresh tagliolini is the pasta of choice for this recipe. But, you can make it with dried pasta such as spaghetti, vermicelli or linguine. Fresh fettuccine would be a good option as well.
I’m sure, once you try this simple but delicious and nutritious summer tagliolini pasta recipe, you’ll love it as much as I do. Let me know what you think by commenting here on the website or on the Pasta Project Facebook page. I’d love to get your feedback
Buon appetito!
If you like Italian summer pasta recipes or pasta salads why not take a look at these recipes too:
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This recipe was first published in 2018 but has been updated.
Summer tagliolini pasta recipe with marinated raw vegetables
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh tagliolini pasta (14oz) you can also use other long pasta
- 2 celery stalks
- 2-3 zucchini depending on size
- 3-4 carrots depending on size
- 2 red bell peppers
- 15 cherry tomatoes washed and cut in half
- ½ lemon juice
- 1 bunch fresh basil washed
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 500 ml beef/vegetable broth (16floz) or a stock cube. Can be vegetable stock for vegetarians
- extra virgin olive oil as required
- salt for pasta and to taste (don't add salt to pasta water if using stock cube)
- black pepper to taste
- Parmigiano flakes as required (vegetarians will need to use a different cheese or omit the cheese completely)
Instructions
- Wash all the vegetables and then cut into small cubes.
- Put them into a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, chopped basil, the juice from ½ lemon, salt and pepper. (Use enough olive oil to coat the veg like in a salad)
- Mix well, cover with cling film and marinate for an hour.
- Bring a pot of water with with beef broth to boil for the pasta (I used half water and half homemade broth) But, if using,a stock cube add to the pasta water. (You don’t need salt if you use a stock cube)
- Cook the tagliolini al dente according to the instructions on the packet in the broth and drain. (Fresh pasta takes about 3-5 minutes)
- Add the drained pasta to the bowl with the marinated vegetables. Then add a little more olive oil and mix together well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste if required. Sprinkle with Parmigiano flakes and serve immediately. This dish should be tepid.
Notes
Nutrition
If you are interested in learning how to make other homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of my autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?
Lathiya says
The tagliolini pasta was hearty and light, loaded with vegetables. Tasted awesome.
Claudia says
This recipe is amazing! I tried it recently, and the combination of tagliolini with marinated vegetables was absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Juyali says
A light and refreshing summer dish! And I'm so happy I got to use more basil from my summer garden. Simply loved this easy and delicious recipe. ❤️
DK says
How interesting, I've not seen a pasta salad that uses long tagliolini noodles. But I gave this a try the other day and it was absolutely delicious! I loved the vegetables and they mixed perfectly with the pasta!
Lathiya says
The summer tagliolini pasta looks so good with the goodness of vegetables. Love it.
Shikha says
Your pasta recipes are so amazing and so delicious that me and my family started trying new new kinds of pasta.
Patrice says
This looks delicious and perfect for hot summer nights!