Spicy pasta salad

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 250 g pasta (gobetti – small fork spaghetti)
• salt water
• 1 jar gherkins (Spreewald style)
• n. B. cucumber juice
• 450 g cheese (Gouda, medium-aged, e.g. Pikantje)
• 2 tbsp Ajvar, hot
• e.g. mayonnaise
• chili flakes
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 8 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 18 minutes

Purist, but very tasty. With ajvar and mayonnaise.

Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, finely dice the cucumber and cheese. It’s best to cool the cooked pasta under running water: it needs to be processed cold so the cheese doesn’t melt. If you just let it cool, it will stick together. Then drain well. Combine everything in the salad bowl, add the ajvar and mayonnaise, if desired. Season with salt, pepper, a little cucumber juice, and chili flakes. The salad tastes best when it’s left to cool in the refrigerator for a while before eating. The serving size assumes a lot of appetite. If the salad is just one of many at a barbecue, this quantity is enough for 5-6 people.