Mexican Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 500 g red bell pepper
• 2 jalapeños (or pickled peppers)
• 500 g tomatoes
• 4 sprigs oregano
• 0.5 bunch cilantro
• 2 onions
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 3 fresh corn cobs
• 400 g penne (preferably whole wheat)
• Salt
• 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 5 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 Lime
• Pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Roast the bell pepper under a hot oven grill or open gas flame, turning until the skin turns black. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate for 10 minutes.

2. 2.

   Drain the jalapeños or pickled peppers and roughly chop them. Wash the tomatoes, quarter them, remove seeds, and also roughly chop. Add both to a bowl.

3. 3.

   Wash oregano and cilantro, shake dry, pluck leaves, chop, and add to the bowl. Peel onions and garlic and finely chop them.

4. 4.

   Clean corn cobs, wash them, and cut kernels off with a sharp knife.

5. 5.

   Peel the skin from the bell pepper with a knife and quarter the peppers.

6. 6.

   Remove seeds, dice the bell pepper, and add to the tomatoes.

7. 7.

   Cook pasta according to package instructions in boiling salted water until al dente.

8. 8.

   Meanwhile roast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan without oil until fragrant. Remove and set aside.

9. 9.

   Roast corn kernels in the pan, stirring occasionally, until brown spots appear; this takes about 4-5 minutes. Add them to the other ingredients in the bowl.

10. 10.

    Heat oil in the pan. Sauté onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add cumin and sauté for 20 seconds. Mix everything into the tomato-corn mixture.

11. 11.

    Drain pasta, reserving 6-8 tbsp of pasta water. Toss hot pasta with the remaining ingredients. Squeeze lime over the salad to season. Salt and pepper, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top, and serve. If the salad sits longer, stir in the reserved pasta water.