Pasta Salad Ideas

[ManteoChik]

Hey ladies. I need a good recipe for pasta salad.

I'm thinking the kind with italian dressing (not a creamy mayo based one), black olives, onions, cheese, salami....ect...

Any suggestions? A friend and I always eat at this wrap shop and they have THE BEST pasta salad. I was thinking about trying to make some of my own. BF is really picky about food and I'm hoping that this is something that he'd like.

[BethIrish]

I usually do more of a 'greek' pasta salad. I use the following:

Farfelle pasta (usually bow tie)
Red peppers (either roasted or just fresh sliced)
Calamata olives
Feta cheese
artichoke hearts
tomatoes
cucumber
garbanzo beans (sometimes)
red onion

I mix it all together w/ Greek salad dressing.

If you wanted to make it more "italian", use italian dressing and sub mozzerella cheese for the feta and add chunked salami. Fresh basil would be yummy too.

[gayle]

Here is my favorite recipe for an Italian style pasta salad.


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta
* 12 ounces roasted red peppers
* 7 ounces black olives, chopped
* 1 small yellow onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
* 5 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
* 1/4 pound Genoa salami, cut into strips
* 3/4 cup olive oil
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool.
2. Mix together: red peppers, olives, onion, garlic, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and salami.
3. Combine in large bowl, pasta and vegetable mixture. Pour in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Mix well together.



Make it the nite before and let in marinate overnite, it' gets better if it has a chance to "brew"

[Jenean]

Try cooking a package of cheese tortellini and adding a variety of veggies to it (broccoli, grape tomatoes, black olives, squash, carrots, etc.) and then marinating the whole thing in regular or fat free Italian dressing. Delish!!!

[Katy]

I do something similar to Jenean, although I just use whatever pasta I feel like at that time. I cook it up, add veggies of choice (cukes, peppers, tomatoes, peas, olives, etc.,) add a cheese and a meat of choice (cheddar & ham, provolone & turkey, mozzarella & salami, feta, tuna, etc.,). I top it all off with Newman's Balsamic or Italian. Easy Peasy

[Sare79]

My mom makes an amazing one with cooked mini cheese tortellini, chunks of salami, grape tomatoes, olives, boccocini cheese, artichokes, sundried tomatoes in a balsamic vinegarette. The vinegarette is just made with a bit of olive oil, a bit of balsamic vinegar, a bit of the oil from the artichokes or peppers, oregano, fresh basil chopped and ground pepper. It is filling and delish!

[clammyinsf]

here's one i use a lot:

1 pkg bowtie pasta
1 pkg slivered peanuts or almonds (found in the baking section of the grocery store)
1 red bell pepper
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 regular sized can of mandarin oranges
chinese chicken salad dressing to taste

bowl pasta, set aside. roast peanuts/almonds for a few minutes until light brown. chop bell peppers into slivers about 1" long. combine all ingredients and voila!

[angelraven]

This is my favorite pasta salad recipe. Sometimes I switch the pasta to the tri colored stuff.


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 pound seashell pasta
* 1/4 pound Genoa salami, chopped
* 1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
* 1/2 pound Asiago cheese, diced
* 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, diced
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 3 tomatoes, chopped
* 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
* 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried parsley
* 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
* salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, and cool under cold water.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes. Stir in the envelope of dressing mix. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad, and mix well.

[Aug2002Bride]

I use the Italian Dressing that comes in the packet and you mix it with oil and water. I think its made by 4 seasons or good seasons..something like that.

[Sunshine]

I LOVE pasta salad, but I have to say I dont even know where to start in making it myself. I do know that when we order out I usually get the big pasta salad with chicken breast!

Can you share any type of creamy pasta salad recipes so I can make it at home?:D
TIA!!!!!

[DallasLady]

I am looking for a recipe for a pasta salad, macaroni salad or even potato salad that isn't mayo-based. DH and I hate mayo, which means we always pass these items up. I was at a party recently and there was an awesome pasta salad that didn't taste like it had mayo in it. I couldn't figure out who made it, but it was great.

[Witty Username]

I have one but I don't really have a recipe. :(

It's an orzo salad. Orzo is the small rice shaped pasta.

Anyway, it's very easy and pretty good, if you like greek salad dressing.

1 package orzo (cook according to directions)

feta cheese - I use a lot, because my family is a bunch of cheese fiends!

Greek salad dressing - you can make your own or bottled is fine. Ken's is pretty good, but there are so many different brands to choose from.

Grape tomatoes

Olives, chopped or sliced - I use either ripe olives or Kalamata.

That's it.


I've seen more and more recipes for oil/vinegar based salads, I don't have time to do a search right now. Also German potato salad doesn't have mayo.

[KarenS]

DH makes one that's not mayo based. We never really make it the same way twice, but the core ingredients are the same. This makes a lot, but it's great for lunches and leftovers.

1 box of tri colored rotini
1/4 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized florets
1/4 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
~ 1 cup of sliced carrots
~ 1 cup of chopped celery
~ 1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 jar of Creamy Italian salad dressing
(optional: a couple of chicken breasts, grilled and diced)

Boil the pasta. About 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done, throw the carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms into the water as well (I do this rather than separately steaming them - it's easy and makes less mess). When the pasta is done, drain and move to a serving bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

I prefer the salad well chilled and after it's had a time for the flavors to blend, but it's not bad warm as well! :)

Karen

[tenofcups]

I make a pasta salad that I just kind of made up on the spot one night with leftover pasta and once I discovered how much I loved it, I just kept making it ;)

I cook and drain elbow macaroni, add some butter, allow to cool a little, and then add olive oil and several different kinds of vinegars to taste (whatever vinegar I have in the house--red wine vinegar, white vinegar, apple vinegar, raspeberry, etc.). I just play around with the amounts of olive oil vs. vinegar till it tastes right.

Then I sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, rosemary, Mrs. Dash, and sometimes additional spices on top. Again, I just play around till the proportions taste right.

To that I add very little bits of American cheese (torn into about 16-20 bits per slice) and whatever I happen to have in the house: cucumbers, tomato, carrots, onion...

I like to refridgerate it for a few hours or overnight to let all the flavors blend and then sometimes add a little more olive oil or vinegar the next day.

It's easy to make in large or small amounts so I've made it just for myself and also to serve to large groups of people and it seems to be a hit with others.

[amew]

We like to toss penne or rotini with olive oil, salt, fresh ground pepper, halved grape tomatoes, a bunch of fresh basil, and a handful of goat cheese or feta and then refrigerate it and eat it as a salad.

[keska]

Similar to many others:

2 packages of pasta (16oz. each) I usually use the trio with curly, points, and shells but the original recipe called for curly.
1 bottle Wishbone Italian dressing (16oz.) Use it all.
Cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
Fresh broccoli (1-2 stalks), 1 green pepper
1 can of black olives (8oz. sliced), 1 red onion,
Medium cheddar and mozzarella cheese (the rectangular block that's about 1” thick) cut in cubes

Cook the pasta according to directions, rinse with cool water, add the rest of the vegetables, mix with half the dressing. When you are ready to serve, add the cheese and the rest of the dressing...the trick is to keep tossing it so the dressing gets on all of it. Keep it well tossed. Refrigerate.

[keska]

A twist on orzo salad:

Cook orzo, drain and rinse. Add crumbled feta cheese, chopped scallions, and sundried tomatoes cut into strips (the kind bottled in oil). Add oil from the sundried tomatoes (usually 1/3-1/2 of small bottle), a bit of salt and a little red wine vinegar to taste.

[laura]

My MIL makes balsamic vinegar / oil based potato salad. It sounds gross, but it's really good. I don't have the recipe, but it's basically red potatoes (boiled, chopped), red onions, green beans (blanched), tomatoes, cucumbers [if you want], tossed with vinegar/oil and salt to taste. There might be other stuff in it, but it's been a year or so since I've had it and I just eat the potatoes, onions and green beans. So good!

[Weddings by]

If you like sour cream, you can make German Potato Salad.

I don't have a recipe, but from one I've had, I'd guess it contains:

red potatoes
green onions
sour cream
vinegar
salt
pepper
bacon
dill

[wine_o_girlie]

Here's two that we really like using Ken's Lite Ceasar dressing which is not a creamy ceasar but one that is more olive oil-y: (measurements are approximate and to your taste)

Pasta salad with salami

Boil 1 lb. pasta (rotini, penne, etc.) and mix with diced up red peppers, broccoli, black olives, and strips of genoa salami. Dress with Ken's Lite Ceasar dressing and salt and pepper.

Tortellini Salad with shrimp

Boil 1 package of cheese tortellini and mix with diced artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh (raw) baby spinach. Boil shrimp seperately and add to pasta. Dress with Ken's Lite Ceasar Dressing and salt and pepper.

[mkvh]

Mmmm....I need to try some of those recipes!

My personal favorite (and it's soooo easy). Simple, traditional, non-gourmet flavor (thought I love me some feta!):

1 lb of pasta (I personally like rotini 'cause it holds the dressing)
Chopped veggies (I usually use carrots, diced green, red, and yellow peppers (which I buy pre-copped), red onion, and halved grape tomatoes
Diced pepperoni (or ham)
Shredded mozzarella (or cheddar)
Italian Seasonings (the mix that comes in one shaker)
Salt
Pepper

And they key ingredient? Kraft Zesty Italian dressing. Pour about 1/2 of the oil off the bottle before shaking.

It turns out best if you make the pasta the night before and toss it with the dressing, refrigerating overnight!

[Rosebud]

This one from 101cookbooks.com looks really good!

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/gossip/pastasalad.jpg

Ravioli Pasta Salad

I used a ricotta-stuffed buckwheat pasta, but any standard cheese-stuffed ravioli will also work if that is what your store offers. Many of you might be able to locate a spinach pasta ravioli - this would be a good alternative as well.

1/2 pound ricotta-stuffed ravioli
1 bunch thin asparagus, cut on deep bias (angle)
10 ounce bag organic peas, thawed overnight in refrigerator
3 - 4 big handfuls baby spinach, washed (any stems removed - optional)
a couple splashes of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
fine grain sea salt
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Prep all of your ingredients ahead of time - cut asparaus, wash spinach, etc.
Into an extra-large pot of well-salted boiling water add the raviolis. After a few minutes, when a couple of the raviolis begin to float, add the asparagus and peas. Because the asparagus is thin and the peas aren't frozen, you'll need to cook them only for about a minute - really quick, just enough to brighten up the peas and give the asparagus a touch of tenderness.

Drain everything into a large colander. Immediately transfer to a large bowl, add the spinach and pine nuts, and gently toss with a couple big splashes of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Serve in a big bowl or on a simple platter with a bit shaved Parmesan crumbled on top.

Serves 4 to 6.

She also offers up some thoughts on making pasta salad in general:

I've been wanting to do this for a while now - remix the ubiquitous pasta salad into something I actually look forward to eating. Pasta salads show up at every picnic, potluck, and work party because a) you can buy them at just about every deli counter in the country, and b) they are easy to make - if you can boil water and open a jar of pesto, you're in business. Before we get into the makeover, let's outline a few of the things working against most pasta salads:

Too much pasta, not enough other stuff. Overcooked, unsalted pasta noodles. The one-two punch of bad pasta. Too much dressing, often overpowering dressing. The clump factor - inevitably, after hours in the refrigerator all the pasta in a pasta salad clumps together into a big mass, which shortly thereafter turns into a big heavy mass in my stomach.

I think we can do better, and without much more effort. For starters, I dropped the ratio of pasta to other tasty ingredients way down. I added lots of color by using seasonal ingredients and working in plenty of springtime treats like asparagus, greens, and peas. Because I wanted the focus to be on the flavor of the actual ingredients, I used a bit of good olive oil to dress everything, along with a bit of salt. Simple. article continues here (http://www.101cookbooks.com/)

[sublime311]

This is a family favorite - passed down from my Grandma. Definitely tried and true!

Mostacholi Pasta Salad

1 lb box of mostaccioli (cooked, drained and cooled to room temp)
1½ c cider vinegar
1½ c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp mustard
1 med red onion chopped (finely diced)
1 med cucumber chopped (finely diced)
Pimento or finely chopped red pepper
Cilantro (to taste, chopped fine)
Olives (sliced)

Disolve the sugar in the vinegar and add the spices, pour over the other ingredients.