Pasta salad recipe

[Anonymous]

Now that the weather is getting warm, I'm looking to serve more salads. Please share your favorite pasta salad recipe. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I love a greek style orzo pasta salad I make. Boil up about half a box. Add 1 bag of sauteed spinach (I sautee in garlic), about a pint of halved cherry tomatoes, a handful of chopped kalamata olives and some feta. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. I swear, it's addictive!

[Anonymous]

Chicken Pineapple Pasta Salad

Mix together cooked shredded (larger chunks) and cooled medium shell pasta, and throw in pineapple chunks. For the sauce mix together mayo with a few tablespoons of pineapple juice to get a creamy texture. Mix sauce with chicken pasta and pineapple, and throw in some walnuts.

[Anonymous]

Not OP here but please keep 'em coming-also, how do you treat pasta when preparing it for a cold salad? Do you rinse it directly after cooking in cold water? Or put it in the fridge? Pasta continues to cook a little after being removed from hot water -how do you keep it from getting mushy or chewy?

[Anonymous]

In order to keep my pasta from sticking I rinse the pasta in cold water then put in the fridge.

My favorite pasta salad is with Italian or Greek dressing (flavor to taste), crumbled feta cheese and then add any other raw veggies (cucumbers, red peppers are good) that you like as well as leftover chicken if desired for some extra protein and for a quick cold lunch for hot days.

[Anonymous]

The judge on "Chopped" last night had a huge fit about a contestant rinsing the pasta in water after he'd taken it out of the pot. The judge said the rinsing removed all the starch from the pasta, and thus the sauce had nothing to hang on to. I think you're supposed to put a little oil in the pasta to keep it from sticking. FWIW.

[Anonymous]

I make Oriental Noodle Cabbage Salad. Slightly soften a package of ramen noodles and add the noodles to shredded cabbage. Throw in some sliced green onions and sesame seeds. For the dressing, combine the ramen noodle flavor packet (chicken) with a few tablespoons each (to taste) of oil, vinegar, and sugar, and a bit of salt and white pepper. Shake it up in a jar, then pour it over the cabbage and noodle mix. Top it all with toasted slivered almonds.

[Anonymous]

I think pesto on pasta is great cold. Can add cooked chicken, any vegs -- maybe some combination of asparagus, broccoli, broccolini, artichoke hearts, green beans, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes.

[Anonymous]

Yes oil on pasta is the way to go. I NEVER rinse pasta, not for a salad or if I'm serving it right away.

[Anonymous]

pizza pasta salad - penne with tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, and whatever else you like on your pizza! I drizzle with oil and balsamic

[Anonymous]

www.epicurious.com is my new go to source for recipes. Found a great pasta salad recipe on there the other day. Here it is:

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds penne or rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sliced green onions
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 6-ounce package baby spinach
1 cup (about 4 ounces) salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Preparation
Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to small bowl. Cool. Add pasta to same pot and cook until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer pasta to very large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Cool.
Blend cup oil, green onions, vinegar and soy sauce in blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. (Asparagus, pasta and dressing can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.) Pour dressing over pasta. Add asparagus, spinach and cashews; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The judge on "Chopped" last night had a huge fit about a contestant rinsing the pasta in water after he'd taken it out of the pot. The judge said the rinsing removed all the starch from the pasta, and thus the sauce had nothing to hang on to. I think you're supposed to put a little oil in the pasta to keep it from sticking. FWIW.

21:06 here. Interesting...I use gluten free pasta so maybe that changes the dynamics a bit, you always have the rinse gluten free pasta regardless of the recipe.

Even before I went gluten free I used to rinse my pasta, but I also typically added the salad dressing right away which has plenty of oil...never had a problem with it. Adding oil then salad dressing seemed too much...and not rinsing gave it a 'gummy' feel