Pasta Salad

[smilie]

I was asked to bring pasta salad to a get together this weekend. I've never made it before. Anyone have a good recipe they'd like to share?

 

[SillyMe]

It depends on what you like. You can put just about anything in it. I put salami and ham, olives, mozzarella cheese and Zesty Italian dressing in mine (with the tri-color noodles). You can also add tomatoes or broccoli.

 

[diznygirl]

Pasta, anything else, and Wishbone Italian dressing.

I usually add some chopped tomatoes, green and maybe yellow peppers for color, chopped salami, shredded cheese (usually mozzarella).

 

[bananiem]

2c. cauliflower
1c. broccoli
1/2c. chopped or shredded carrots
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
1 small can sliced black olives
1/4c. diced red oniion
8 0z. rotini pasta, cooked and drained
Dressing:
1 c. Seven Seas Italian dressing (My cousin SWEARS you have to use Seven Seas for this. I've never tried it with a different brand)
1/2 t. salt
1/4c. sugar
2 T. dill

Mix dressing ingredients. Mix vegetables, water chestnuts, olives, oion and pasta. Add dressing. Toss until coated. Cover and chill 6 hours or overnight.

 

[kmebee]

I like to use the curly (I think rotini noodles) either plain or the tri-colored ones. Boil them like you normally would and cool them. Cut up different cheeses (I use colby-jack, mozz, cheddar), brocolli, cauliflower, black olives and some imitation crab meat (or sometimes use pepperoni cut up small). Mix all together and marinate with Italian dressing. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Hope this helps.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I make one with gemelli pasta, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, chopped romaine lettuce, sun dried tomatoes and olives, topped with shaved Romano cheese and chilled overnight. It's always a hit.

 

[tkd lisa]

Another fan of the tri colored spiral noodles. I add a good zesty italian dressing, chop up a red and yellow pepper. I let it soak in overnight. Then I add feta or some other crumbly type cheese just before it's served.

I don't usually put meat in if it's for other people, because this gives vegetarians an option at a pot-luck. Course, it wouldn't work for the ones that don't do dairy either.

 

[Quinn222]

I have a fantastic one but it's kind of dependant on getting the right pasta. Publix carries it in my area. It's made by De Cecco and it's tiny little stars. You can substitute orzo but it's not as good.

Pungent Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta as directed, when it's done and drained and still warm drizzle it with olive oil.
Stir in:
Minced garlic
Rough chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
Chopped sundried tomatoes (from a jar of Sun dried tomatoes in olive oil)
Chopped basil
Pine nuts (if you like them, I don't, so I don't use them)
Chopped red onion (Optional)

Once you've got all that mixed in drizzle in balsamic vinegar.
Chill. Once you've got it cool taste it and then salt and pepper to taste and adjust the amounts of oil and vinegar to taste.

All amounts are flexible depending on taste and how much of whatever you have on hand and how much you're making. It's fantastic. It lasts a long time (no mayo) and is really great with almost anything. The leftovers made a great lunch topped with grilled chicken. Oh, and the little bag of pasta stars actually makes a lot of salad. Plenty for 8 people.

PS: I also make one very similar to the ones others have posted but I use ranch dressing in it.

 

[RUDisney]

For something that is different and always goes over very well, you can impress them with this salad, using ramen noodles, of all things. The dressing you make for this is the taste from Chinese restaurants that makes you wonder what they do to make it taste that way. Yummy.

Asian Salad

For best results, make this the night before you will be serving it.

1 head Napa Cabbage (sliced thin)
6 scallions (chopped)
2 Packages Ramen Noodles (break into smaller pieces) Do not add seasoning packet. Do not cook them.
½ c sesame seeds
½ c sunflower seeds
½ c sliced almonds

Toss cabbage and scallions in a large bowl. In large frying pan, sprayed with Pam, brown noodles, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds. Keep stirring mixture. The noodles will stay crisp. Let mixture cool and add it to the cabbage.

Dressing

1 c oil
1 c sugar
½ c white vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Mix and refrigerate. The noodles will soften with the dressing.

Enjoy!

 

[Crankyshank]

I use:
- gemelli or rotini pasta
- a zesty Italian dressing
- some type of cheese (either chedddar cubes, fresh mozarella, or feta)
- diced peppers, tomatoes, proscuitto, and cucumber
- chopped black olives

 

[monarchsfan16]

Go to the grocery store
Walk down the aisle that has all the hamburger helper type stuff
Stand in front of the boxes of pasta salad mix (Kraft makes good ones)
Pick the kind you think you'd like (ranch and bacon is good, as is creamy parmesean)
Buy it (you'll need several boxes if it's a big event)
Go home
Cook the pasta
Mix the mayonaise and seasonings and the cooked pasta mix
You're done!

(and it tastes better than the ones made with oil)

 

[Disney Doll]

For 1 lb of pasta:
For the dressing:
*16 oz sour cream
*same amount of mayo
*1/4 cup of sweet relish
*mix it all together

For the dry ingredients:
*pasta
*1 sliced red pepper(you can also add an orange or yellow pepper if you want for color)
*about a cup of peas
*about a cup of cheedar cheese(bagged shredded cheddar)
*chopped onion to taste (usually about 1/2 an onion or you can use onion salt)

Mix the dry ingredients together
Pour some of the dressing mix over it, mix it up and refrigerate
A couple of hours before serving pour the rest of the dressing over it and mix it up again

Note: Pasta salad is usually better if you make it the night before so the flavors have a chance to "blend" overnight.

If you make 2 lbs you don't necessarily need to double this recipe...just do the dressing to taste. It's kind of hard to screw up a pasta salad.

 

[jbdreamer]

I LOVE pasta salads. I am making this one tonight because I am craving it... It sounds so simple, but it's really good.

Chicken Pasta Salad
1 lb box pasta shells
1 lb poached chicken breasts
1 cup chopped celery
Miracle Whip
Salt & Pepper to taste

Shred poached chicken with two forks in bowl. Chill.
Run cooked pasta under cold running water to cool.
Mixed all ingredients together.


Here is another family favorite we make all the time on hot days. We can make a meal out of this stuff...

Tuna Macaroni Salad
1 lb box macaroni noodles
2 cans tuna (drained)
1-2 cups frozen peas
1 cup diced cucumbers
1 cup diced tomatoes
4 hard boiled eggs diced
1/4 cup sweet relish
Miracle Whip
salt & pepper to taste
(Any ingredients can be substituted or removed. I always do extra peas.)

Put frozen peas in strainer. Drain cooked pasta over frozen peas. Chill under cold running water. Mix all ingredients together.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I use rotini or rotelle w/ Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette and any combination of the following

salami
pepperoni
prosciutto
artichoke hearts
black olives
roasted peppers
sun dried tomatoes
pepperoncini
diced tomatoes
celery
bell pepper
broccoli
red onion
mozzarella
provolone

 

[RUDisney]

Another different pasta salad that we really enjoy is made by combining cooked noodles, usually small bow ties in our house with a large (15 oz.) can of mandarine oranges, drained, a jar of pimentoes, drained, a small can of sliced black olives, drained, and feta cheese with poppyseed dressing. Old Cape Cod and Brianna's dressings are the best when it comes to poppyseed dressing.

Stir it up and serve. The combination sounds weird but the blend of sweet with salty ingredients makes this very good.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

Pasta, anything else, and Wishbone Italian dressing.

I usually add some chopped tomatoes, green and maybe yellow peppers for color, chopped salami, shredded cheese (usually mozzarella).

Yep! Wishbone Italian makes it for us, too! I usually halve cherry tomatos, tiny pieces of brocolli, and get the Mozarella cubes and cut them into small pieces. Add those to the Tri-Color pasta and it looks great and tastes great.

Another dressing to consider: Brianna's Artichoke Dressing. I don't think it has artichoke in it, but it tastes great- it's a very flavorful vinagerette with large peppercorns, garlic, etc.

 

[princesslibby]

Cheese tortellini
chicken
olives
peppers(green, red,yellow)
whatever else sounds good
and
Ranch dressing

so yummy!

libby

 

[tiggger1]

I just made pasta salad with

pasta
2 bottles of catalina dressing
olives
peppers
cukes
cherry tomatos
cubes of cheese

cook pasta, drain and rinse in cold water. drain again, add 1 bottle of dressing and other ingredients. keep in fridge until serving time and then add the other bottle of dressing.


easy and yummy

 

[BuzzBoyMom]

Boxed pasta - any kind
Paul NEwman's Italian dressing
Add as much or little of the following:

cut salami
cheeses
frozen veggies - add to the pasta water to defrost

 

[sha_lyn]

This recipe is very close to what I've made a few times. I don't use a recipe. I usually put cucumbers in mine
I've also made it with couscous

http://www.recipezaar.com/36089