Ingredients
• 400g spiral pasta
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 200g mettwurst, finely sliced
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ bunch thyme, leaves picked
• ½ cup white wine
• 300ml pure cream
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan
• Sea-salt flakes, to season
• 2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 avocado, flesh diced
• 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
• ½ bunch dill, roughly chopped
Note: Mettwurst is Germany’s answer to the Italian salami, and it’s just as delicious. Fried pieces add depth to a light pasta salad, made for entertaining. If your local butcher doesn’t have any, you can buy a 200g whole Italian or Hungarian salami from the supermarket.
Method
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Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following pack instructions until al dente. Drain well, then toss with ½ of the oil before spreading out on an oven tray to cool to room temperature.
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Fry mettwurst in a large non-stick frying pan, without oil, over a high heat for 4 minutes or until crispy. Drain on paper towel.
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In the same pan, reduce heat slightly to medium-high and sauté onion, garlic and thyme with remaining oil for 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Pour in wine and increase heat to high. Bring to the boil, then stir in cream. Cook for 4 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Mix in parmesan and season with salt. Take off heat and set aside to cool slightly.
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Fill a large bowl with ice-cold water. Steam broccoli then transfer to bowl of water. Set aside for 2 minutes or until cold. Drain well before putting back in bowl. Add cold pasta, mettwurst, avocado, tomatoes, pine nuts and dill, and toss well. Arrange on a serving platter, drizzling with a little of the parmesan cream. Serve immediately with remaining sauce on the side.