Summertime and the cookin' is easy

A light and cool pasta salad to tempt the taste buds and a deliciously zesty fruit salad for dessert.

Marinated Pasta Salad

With Hong Kong's hot, sticky summer weather now upon us, what could be better than a light and cool pasta salad to tempt the taste buds of your family and friends? Whether it's for an outdoor barbecue or a potluck party, this delicious and colourful side dish will have everyone asking you for the recipe. What's even better is that it's easy to make, too.

Dressing

? 120ml olive oil

? 2 tbsp lemon juice

? 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

? 1 tsp oregano

? ? tsp basil

? ? tsp dry mustard

? ? tsp paprika

? ? tsp thyme

? 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced

? Dash of salt and pepper

Combine ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Salad

? 250g fusilli (I like to use the tricolore version for added colour)

? 1 head broccoli, cut into flowerets and steamed tender, but still a little crunchy

? ? medium red onion, thinly sliced

? 2 medium tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

? 1 medium red pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces

? 1 medium green pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces

? 100g button mushrooms, sliced

? 200g marinated artichokes, sliced

Cook the fusilli in boiling salted water until just al dente. (You definitely don't want limp pasta here!) Drain the water and cool down in the refrigerator until you're ready to add it to the rest of the salad. Prepare the other salad ingredients and put in a large bowl. Combine with the fusilli and toss with the dressing. Then, refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.