We look forward to summer all year long: a chance to go on holiday with our loved ones and enjoy the sunshine on the beach or by the pool. But when the temperatures rise, deciding what to eat can sometimes be a challenge. That’s why we’ve put together a selection of quick summer recipes, perfect for easy, delicious meals during your holiday.
Light, fresh and colourful is the way to go when it comes to quick summer recipes. Here are some tasty ideas to brighten up your table during your apartment holiday in Lido di Jesolo or your stay at one of the best camping villages in Caorle and Eraclea Mare.
Ham and Cream Cheese Pinwheels
Ingredients:
- Sliced sandwich bread
- Cream cheese
- Cooked ham
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time
Method:
Place a slice of sandwich bread between two sheets of cling film and flatten it with a rolling pin until it is about 4–5 mm thick. Remove the top sheet of cling film, leaving the bread on the bottom sheet. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the bread and top with cooked ham, adjusting the quantities to suit your taste.
Using the cling film to help you, roll the bread up tightly. Wrap the roll and leave it in the fridge for at least two hours. When ready to serve, remove the cling film and cut the roll into slices about 1 cm thick.
Your first quick summer recipe is ready to enjoy. Bon appétit!
Variations:
You can add grilled vegetables or mushrooms to your pinwheels, or replace the cooked ham with another type of sliced meat. One of our favourite versions of this quick summer recipe uses smoked salmon instead of ham, finished with a sprinkle of chives.o dei funghi; oppure sostituire il prosciutto cotto con altri affettati. Una delle nostre versioni preferite per questa ricetta estiva veloce è quella con il salmone al posto del prosciutto cotto a cui non può mancare un po’ di era cipollina.
Mozzarella Roll with Bresaola, Parmesan and Rocket
Ingredients:
- A sheet of mozzarella
- Thinly sliced bresaola (Italian air-dried beef)
- Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Rocket (arugula)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Method:
First, wash the rocket and dry it thoroughly. Pat the mozzarella sheet dry with kitchen paper and lay it on a sheet of cling film. Spread the rocket over the mozzarella, followed by a layer of bresaola, a sprinkling of grated cheese and another layer of bresaola.
Using the cling film to help you, roll the mozzarella up tightly along its longer side. Remove the cling film and cut the roll into slices about 1.5 cm thick. Your summer lunch is ready to serve. Enjoy!
Variations:
This is one of the most versatile quick summer recipes. Try changing the filling to grilled vegetables and cooked ham, or tomato, basil and Parma ham. You can also experiment with any other ingredients you fancy.
Penne with Courgettes and Speck
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 320 g penne pasta
- 3 courgettes (approximately)
- 360 g speck, in one thick slice
- 250 g shallots
- Fresh thyme, 4 sprigs
- 20 g extra virgin olive oil
- Fine salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 20 minutes cooking time
Method:
Start by washing the courgettes and trimming off the ends. Coarsely grate two of them, then cut the remaining courgette into thin strips about 2–3 cm long.
Finely chop the shallots and gently soften them in a pan with half the olive oil and a little hot water. Once softened, add the grated courgettes, season with salt and pepper, pour in a ladleful of hot water and cook for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the speck into small cubes and fry it in the remaining olive oil with the courgette strips for about five minutes.
Cook the penne in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and add it to the pan with the grated courgettes and speck. Mix everything together, then add the courgette strips and fresh thyme leaves. Serve with a final sprinkling of black pepper. Your quick summer pasta dish is ready to enjoy!
Variations:
You can replace the regular penne with wholewheat pasta and swap the courgettes and speck for aubergines and ham. In this version, we like to use mint instead of thyme. This is one of our favourite summer pasta recipes, and we love making it even more delicious with a sprinkling of grated cheese.
Seafood Rice Salad
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 300 g Venus rice (black rice)
- 300 g Datterini cherry tomatoes
- 150 g peeled prawns, washed
- 150 g squid, cleaned and cut into rings
- 2 courgettes
- 1 garlic clove
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Fresh parsley, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus rice cooking time
Method:
Start by bringing a large pan of salted water to the boil for the rice.
Meanwhile, gently fry the garlic in a little olive oil. Pat the squid dry with kitchen paper and add it to the pan. After a couple of minutes, add the prawns, also patted dry. If you like, deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. Be careful not to overcook the seafood: 4–6 minutes should be enough. At the end of cooking, season with black pepper and a handful of chopped parsley.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and grate the courgettes, then place them in a large bowl. Once the rice is cooked, drain it and cool it under running water. When completely cool, add it to the vegetables, followed by the seafood and all its cooking juices. Adjust the seasoning, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if needed, and mix well. Your quick summer recipe is ready to enjoy!
Chicken Salad
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce
- 600 g chicken breast
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 carrots
- 200 g canned sweetcorn
- 200 g green olives
- 1 spring onion
- Seeds of your choice (sunflower, pumpkin, chia or sesame)
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes cooking time
Method:
Start by preparing the lettuce. Remove the outer leaves, cut the head into strips, soak them in cold water and rinse several times. Drain and dry the lettuce thoroughly.
Pat the chicken breast dry with kitchen paper, then grill the slices on both sides on a hot griddle or in a non-stick frying pan. Once cooked through, cut the chicken into strips.
Place the well-drained lettuce in a large bowl. Add the carrots cut into thin strips, the finely sliced spring onion and the halved cherry tomatoes. Drain the sweetcorn and olives, then add them to the bowl along with the chicken. Dress with olive oil and salt, mix well and finish with your favourite seeds. Your quick summer salad is ready to serve. Enjoy!
Variations:
You can use lamb’s lettuce or baby lettuce instead of iceberg. Replace the chicken with turkey, grilled swordfish or tuna if you prefer. If spring onion isn’t your favourite, try cucumber instead. This is one of the most versatile quick summer recipes for a fresh and satisfying meal!
Greek Salad
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 200 g feta cheese
- 150 g iceberg lettuce
- 8 Greek black olives
- 1 red onion
- 2 cucumbers
- 2 small tomatoes
- Dried oregano, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Method:
Wash the lettuce, dry it thoroughly and chop it. Wash the cucumbers, peel them if you prefer, and cut them into slices about 0.5 cm thick. Peel and slice the onion to your liking. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters, then dice the feta.
Place the lettuce and cucumber in a large bowl, followed by the onion, tomatoes and Greek black olives. Add the feta, sprinkle with oregano and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. If you like, you can also add a little vinegar.
Your fresh and colourful quick summer recipe is ready to serve!
Variations:
Greek salad can also be made with green pepper cut into thin strips. You can replace the red onion with a mild white spring onion, and the cucumbers can be sliced without peeling them. If you can’t find Greek black olives, use any black or green olives you have available. Feel free to get creative!
That brings our first selection of quick summer recipes to an end. We hope these ideas inspire you to make your beach holiday even more enjoyable, with fresh, tasty meals that are easy to prepare. Have fun trying our summer recipes — and, above all, enjoy your meal!
