Pasta Rings in Spicy Cucumber Raita
Submitted by flames
Pasta rings tossed in cool, spiced cucumber raita with mint, cumin, and lemon. A summer pasta salad with Indian roots: tangy yogurt, crunchy cucumber, and warm cumin against tender anellini pasta.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minPasta rings in cucumber raita is what happens when an Indian yogurt sauce meets an Italian pantry staple. The result is a chilled pasta salad that drinks like raita and eats like dinner: cool, tangy, and aromatic with toasted cumin and fresh mint.
Salting the grated cucumber and onion is the make-or-break step. Skip it and the cucumbers leak water into the yogurt as the salad sits, turning it from creamy to soupy. Ten minutes with salt and a hard squeeze in a clean towel pulls out enough liquid to keep the dressing thick.
Cook the anellini just shy of al dente and shock it cold under running water. The rinse halts the cooking and washes off surface starch so the pasta doesn’t gum up the yogurt. Stir the cooled rings occasionally as they sit so they don’t clump.
Mint and parsley both work, but mint leans this dish closer to its raita roots. A final squeeze of lemon right before serving brightens everything up.
Kitchen Tips
- Use full-fat plain yogurt for the creamiest result. Greek yogurt thinned with a splash of water also works.
- Toast and grind whole cumin seeds for a deeper, smokier flavor than pre-ground cumin.
- Make it a few hours ahead so the flavors meld, but stir in the tomato just before serving so it stays firm.
- Serve cold straight from the fridge. This salad gets sad and watery at room temperature.
Variations
- Add a finely diced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne for actual heat to back up the ‘spicy’ name.
- Swap pasta rings for orzo or couscous for a different chewy-tender texture.
- Stir in chickpeas and crumbled feta to turn the side into a full vegetarian main.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine grated cucumber and onion in a small bowl.
Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 10 min.
Drain and squeeze dry.
Whisk yogurt until creamy smooth.
Add cucumber mixture, garlic, green onions, tomato, lemon juice, minced mint or parsley, cumin and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook pasta in 4 qts boiling water until very al dente.
Drain and rinse well in cold water, then drain again.
Place in a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking together.
Combine pasta with yogurt mixture.
Garnish with mint or parsley springs and cucumber slices.
Comments
This is my go to Pasta Salad that everyone raves about!! Because I double the amount of cumin & more garlic & I cut my cucumbers in (thin sticks) and put a lot of them in there! Lots of fresh mint cut very fine from the garden, lots of Mayo with a little mustard, lime juice, lots of black pepper—a little cayenne & garlic salt!! I make sure it has lots of flavor before I serve it & it’s always a hit!! Been making this salad for more than 10 years—very delish indeed!! So much better than those plain pasta salads!!!
Don’t grate the cucumber—cut it into thin sticks and add extra—it greatly improves your salad—I added a teaspoon of sugar to bring out the flavor as well!!!
You can use Mayo instead of yogurt—I think it’s best with 50/50–that is 50% Mayo like Hellmans/Best Foods & 50% Greek Yogurt—-of course plain yogurt—requires less lime if you add yogurt!