Of all the seasons, summer is the one best suited to letting your imagination run riot in the kitchen as you seek out a fresh and tasty dish, one which is enjoyable to eat but also healthy, without the risk of putting on too many calories. So how about making a lovely pasta salad, perfect during the summer for a lovely meal under the gazebo, or during a day at the beach. This is a dish where there is plenty of room for the imagination – where, for example, diced cheese or ham, combined with tuna and some crunchy carrots and tomatoes, create an irresistible combination. Our pasta salad described here, however, is a real triumph of Mediterranean cuisine: tomato and basil is the perfect opportunity to enjoy some seafood specialties ...

Put the pasta on to cook, and in the meantime make the sauce. Peel the prawns and steam them until they are nearly cooked through. Finely dice the celery and thinly slice the onion into half-moon shapes. Chop the capers and mix with the celery and onion. Dice the tomatoes and add to the rest of the ingredients. Dress the tomato, onion, celery and capers with salt, sugar and lots of olive oil. Add the prawns and basil and let stand. Clean the mussels and cook them. Once ready, remove the mussels from the shells and add to the remaining ingredients. Combine with the pasta, which you have cooled under a cold tap, and mix well. Loosen with a little of the mussel cooking sauce and it’s ready!