Making a pasta salad?

Question

Has anyone any ideas for a dressing to put on a pasta salad. There is some lovely pasta salads in supermarket deli's but I would love to be able to make my own.

Answer 1

I like to add sweet red pepper paste with tarragon vinegar and olive oil. You can sprinkle chopped peppers on top for lots of color and texture. When I want to add some crunch, I use water chestnuts.

Answer 2

I suppose it depends on your tastes.
Personally i do not like any dressing on a salad

But for a pasta salad i reckon some mayonnaise should do the trick quite nicely.

I used to work as a chef and someone asked for a pasta salad which wasnt on the menu so i 'invented' one that soon got put on the menu.
Basically it was just, lettuce (both cos and raddichio) chopped into strips with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red onion, with pasta and mayonnaise dripped over it.

Answer 3

I have the best recipe for a creamy italian pasta salad. I usually look in my fridge to see what i have so the recipe varies each time I make it. So you can add any veggie you like to it.

I use the garden rotini (three colors of pasta)
about a cup or so of Mayo (if you like lots of mayo add more )
Italian salad dressing to taste
salt
pepper
Any other seasonings that you really enjoy
chopped broccoli
green bell pepper
red bell pepper
sweet onion
bacon
leftover sheaded chicken

This is a easy recipe that can be changed with whatever you have in your fridge. I love to make it a little different each time and experiment with veggies and seasoning. Just always use the pasta, mayo, and italian dressing. The rest is up to you.

Answer 4

for 3 people take a handful of pasta ie; penne or twists or shells, cook as normal. While cooking prepare salad, i use lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, spring onion, cucumber chopped quite small. Drain pasta run under cool water put in bowl, then add a layer of cheese or chicken, tuna or what you like. Mix together rest of salad drizzled with Caesar dressing or another kind, various dressings available @any supermarket. voila pasta salad. Season to your own taste.

Answer 5

Grate the rind of 2 Lemons, then squeeze the juice into a bowl along with the rind
Crush three cloves of Garlic into the bowl.
Finely chop 2 sweet Red Chillies, minus the seeds unless you like it really hot.
Leave for a few hours if possible over night. The acidity cooks the Garlic and Chillies.
When ready to use top up with Extra Virgin Olive oil. At least three parts to the amount of Lemon Juice.
Taste then add more if it is to acidic for you. Pour into a large pan of freshly boiled and drained Pasta. Absolutely Sublime.

Answer 6

Super Macaroni Salad
1 16 oz box macaroni cooked,drained and cooled
1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise (Hellmans, Kraft's,etc)
1 cup white vinegar more or less
1 cup shredded carrots
1 large green pepper finely chopped
1/8 cup minced onion
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/ 2 cup sugar

Pour the macaroni in a large bowl, add the veggies including the onions, set aside. In a smaller bowl mix remaining ingredients, taste, it should have a nice sweet and sour flavor, add more sugar or vinegar until you like the taste. Then pour over the macaroni veggie mix, blend well and put in fridge until ready to serve.

Answer 7

Italian Dressing works wonders for pasta salad! Good idea, I"m going to make some pasta salad right now!!! :-)

Answer 8

Itallain Dressing

Answer 9

Cook the pasta and while it's cooking :-
mix chopped red and green pepper,
spring onion, gerkin, chopped green olives and black olives, chopped tomatoes and sweet corn,
with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and leave to marinate-
Once the pasta is cooked, strained and is almost cool tip in the rest of the ingredients and give a good stir!

This is delicious...believe me, I make it at leat once a week!!!

Answer 10

A very easy one is just to mix some hot water with a teaspoon of pesto. Then stir that into the pasta, add chopped peppers, sweetcorn, tomatoes, scallions, or whatever else you fancy. Then top it all off with some grated cheddar and plenty of black pepper. Tasty!!