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Sometimes it is just an idea that gives a standard dish an extra touch, so a rice salad can turn into a colourful lunch to deal with the summer heat: here is a perfect summer recipe, my Venere rice salad in a glass.

The rule I am following these days with no air conditioning in my kitchen is just one: no oven, unless I have to bake bread. So, here is a one-course meal ready in 30 minutes, unless the cooking time for your rice takes longer.

Furthermore, if you like this summer recipe idea, use your creativity to invent many other rice salads layering them in a glass to make your table unique and fun for your table companions.  Have a look at these Venere rice towers  to find inspiration!

Summer recipe: Venere rice salad in a glass

9.5g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the courgettes cream

  • 300g courgettes
  • 170g water or vegetable stock*
  • 100g leek
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • a bunch of basil
  • some mint leaves
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients for the mozzarella mousse

  • 400g cow’s milk mozzarella
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • water

Ingredients for assembling 4 glasses

  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • 100g Venere rice
  • basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cook the Venere rice in lightly salted water and drain it when it has the perfect texture to be eaten, then lay it out to cool quite quickly.
  2. In the meantime, chop the leek and sweat it in a pan with the extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped courgettes, allow them to gain flavour for a minute, then add the water, basil and mint and cook for 12-13 minutes.
  3. Pour everything in a blender, blend to a smooth cream and season with salt and pepper. Put aside.
  4. Place the chopped mozzarella in a large, tall glass, add 4-5 tablespoons of water and start blending with an immersion blender (ideal for the texture is to use a Bamix) while also pouring in the extra virgin olive oil in a trickle. If the mozzarella cream is too hard, add a few more tablespoons of water while continuing to blend until it is soft and creamy like a mousse. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cut the cherry tomatoes into 4 wedges, season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  6. Now assemble the glasses: pour the courgette cream on the bottom, form a layer of Venere rice, a layer of mozzarella mousse, the chopped cherry tomatoes and finally decorate with a few basil leaves.

insalata di riso venere in bicchiere

Version with gluten of the summer recipe: Venere rice salad in a glass

This recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptations are necessary.

 

Do you fancy a homemade pasta, but want it perfect for summer? Creamy Passatelli with crispy vegetables is the perfect summer recipe for a light, vegetable-based dish that is tasty, unusual, but also simple to prepare and if you don’t believe me, watch the video.

Furthermore, prepare a vegetable soup with the vegetables you have available in the garden at home or in the fridge or freezer: it will be a way to offer vegetables to the little ones at home in an unusual way.

If you like stronger flavours and you are not a vegetarian, you can also complete the dish by adding ham, guanciale, speck or bacon sautéed in a non-stick frying pan until crispy.

And nutritionally, this dish lacks nothing, so enjoy!

Creamy Passatelli with crispy vegetables

36.9g carbohydrates per 100g of plain Passatelli

Ingredients for creamy Passatelli for 4 servings

  • 110g  Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 100g gluten free bradcrumbs, brand Nutrifree**
  • 60g gluten free pasta flour mix, brand Molino Dallagiovanna
  • 2 whole eggs
  • meat or vegetable stock to wet the bread
  • nutmeg, salt and pepper

Ingredients for vegetable soup

  • 800g water
  • 500g mixed vegetables
  • salt

Ingredients to complete

  • 140g courgettes (corresponding to 1)
  • 40g salted ricotta
  • a few basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Prepare the vegetable soup by cooking the vegetables in water with a pinch of coarse salt: this can also be prepared the day before. Once the vegetable soup is cooked, let it cool, then blend it to a cream.
  2. Prepare Passatelli. Heat the stock. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and wet them with the hot stock, being careful not to pour too much: the bread should be slightly moist, but not doughy. Once cold, add the remaining ingredients, namely flour, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well until you obtain a rather firm dough. Let it rest wrapped in cling film for as long as it takes to prepare the courgettes.
  3. Take the courgette, trim it and cut it into thin julienne strips; also cut the salted ricotta into julienne strips, mix ricotta and courgette together and dress them with salt, pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  4. Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to the boil, then add salt.
  5. Put about half the Passatelli mixture into the potato masher, press the potato masher directly over the boiling water and when the Passatelli are the desired length, about 4-5 cm, cut them with a knife dropping them directly into the water. Stir them and let them boil for a few minutes.
  6. Put about 1/3 of the blended vegetable soup in a pan and heat it up; with a slotted spoon, remove the Passatelli from the cooking water and throw them into the pan with the sauce, sautéing them over a high flame for a few minutes.
  7. Pour a ladleful of the cold, blended soup in each serving dish, top with Passatelli, the courgette and ricotta salad, a basil leaf, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Passatelli in crema e verdure croccanti

Version with gluten of Creamy Passatelli with crispy vegetables 

Use standard breadcrumbs and flour, however, when preparing Passatelli with gluten, it is often not necessary to add flour to the breadcrumbs. Only add flour if the mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese and eggs is too soft.