Too hot to eat? Cold pasta might just bring your appetite back

With a brutal heat wave killing appetites across the country, a bowl of cold pasta might be just the thing to coax yours back. For Koreans already accustomed to chilled noodle dishes, cold pasta offers a familiar comfort with a fresh twist.

The first option is an oil-based cold pasta with tomatoes and lemon. The ingredients are straightforward: 100 grams of capellini or spaghetti, eight to 10 cherry tomatoes, a quarter of an onion, three tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of lemon juice, half a tablespoon of minced garlic, one tablespoon of honey or sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. For extra depth, basil pesto and fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese make welcome additions.

Cook the pasta one to two minutes longer than the package directions call for. Because the noodles firm up as they cool, the extra cooking time is key to keeping a pleasant texture.

Immediately after boiling, rinse the noodles thoroughly in ice water or cold water until completely cooled, then drain as much moisture as possible. Skipping this step will dilute the sauce and dull the flavor.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and finely dice the onion. Combine them with the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, honey, salt and pepper, mix well, and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes. The resting time allows the sweetness of the tomatoes and the brightness of the lemon to meld naturally.

Toss the cooled noodles lightly with basil pesto, then fold in the tomato mixture. Finish with burrata or mozzarella and a few fresh basil leaves.

Asian-style cold pasta — dressed with familiar pantry staples like soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and chili oil — has also been gaining fans as a light but satisfying summer meal.

The heart of the dish is a soy-based sauce. Tossing chilled, cooked pasta in a dressing built around soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar produces a clean, savory flavor. Cucumber, red onion and baby greens add crunch, while shrimp, chicken breast or smoked duck turn it into a more substantial plate.

As with the tomato version, boil the pasta one to two minutes beyond the package time, then rinse it well in ice water and drain thoroughly — excess moisture will water down the sauce. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, oligosaccharide syrup and minced garlic, mix well, and let the dressing chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Toss the noodles in the sauce first, then add julienned cucumber, red onion and baby greens and mix gently. Top with boiled shrimp, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of chili oil to finish.

The dish lends itself to easy variation depending on what aromatics you reach for. Fresh cilantro brings a Southeast Asian note, a spoonful of yuzu marmalade adds a bright citrus fragrance, and minced cheongyang chili peppers deliver a spicy kick that is especially welcome on a sweltering summer day.

Even tradition-minded Italians eat cold pasta. The classic example is pasta fredda — literally "cold pasta" — a summer staple long beloved in southern Italy during the hottest months of the year.

Pasta fredda is made by cooling boiled noodles and tossing them with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil. Rather than coating the pasta in a cooked sauce, the dish lets the flavors and aromas of fresh ingredients speak for themselves. Tuna, olives or prosciutto are common additions that round it out into a full meal.

Particularly celebrated is capellini al pomodoro freddo — thin capellini noodles dressed with cold-marinated tomatoes. The natural juices the tomatoes release, combined with olive oil, create a rich, layered flavor without any heat at all, making it a signature summer item at many restaurants.

Cold pasta is ultimately a dish where quality ingredients matter more than elaborate technique. Ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil and good olive oil are all it takes to capture the essence of summer in a single bowl.