Reciepts for pasta salads

[dexterdoglancashire]

Definately going to give that a try Sue!
Thanks
Bernie aka Dexterdog

[WiZeR]

I've found adding dressings to warm pasta makes the salad claggy, so wait until it's cooled before mixing ingredients. It sometimes also helps to rinse pasta in cold water and drain well before using.

This is about the best advice here. Took me years to work that out

[spanielshouse]

Hi - i've just joined the forum for the first time!! Pasta - wot about mixing sauteed mushrooms into the pasta and mixing it with pesto mmmmm thats nice!

[Flummery]

Hi spenielshouse, welcome to the grapevine! I'll go with your suggestion - I could eat pesto with anything! (Well maybe not cornflakes!)

[Washington State Observer]

I make this one for picnics and potlucks:

Pesto Pasta Salad

12 to 16 oz. tri-color spiral pasta
-cook until al dente, rinse and drain in cold water to stop cooking
and to cool
1 or 2 cans (15 oz. each) black olives
-quartered or cut into round slices
8 oz. Pepper Jack cheese (Monteray Jack with Jalapeno Peppers)
-can substitute feta, cheddar, etc.
1 medium red onion (about 3” in diameter)
-cut in half or quartered and slice thinly
1 bottle Newman’s Original Italian Dressing
basil pesto to taste - 1 cup will probably do it - pesto is optional

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and lightly toss.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Toss again before serving.

[Flummery]

Welcome to the vine WSO - I'm salivating reading that!

[Washington State Observer]

I have lots of recipes. What are looking for?

[SunnyD]

Hiya PW

My friend makes a pasta salad with tiny chunks of cheese, pieces of smoked sausage or ham and diced gherkins - I love it, though it's very German (just like her!)

The fab tip she gave me is that to make a lighter mayonnaise 'sauce' she mixes equal amounts of light mayonnaise, natural yogurt and white vinegar (she uses the vinegar out of the gherkin jar!).

I use that mayonnaise base with slightly less vinegar and with all sorts of things thrown in for all my pasta salads - it's yummy

[Spreadsheet]

Hi all

This is the first post I've felt able to comment on - the veg-growing thing is still very new to me, but cooking I'm a little more used to!

I do a pasta salad that's very easy to do in bulk (I always end up doing it for parties, weddings etc).

I basicly take whatever veg I have (cucumber, cherry toms, peppers, sweetcorn and peas are the best - but anything works) and chop it fairly fine (in a food processor if I'm doing lots).

My trick with the sauce is to use olive oil along with the mayo to lighten it and as much green pesto as you can cram in there. A couple of handfuls of grated fresh parmesan work really well too.

Lots of fresh ground pepper and some chilli flakes give it a bit of a kick.

I like this one because it's so easy and takes very little thought.

[Biscombe]

Here's some xx

Italian Pasta Salad


Ingredients - Serves 4

8oz Pasta Spirals
3 Tomatoes
4oz Fresh Spinach
2oz Fresh Basil Leaves
3 Sprigs Parsley
1 Clove Garlic
1?2 Lemon
3 fl oz Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper

Method

* Put a large pan on to boil half full of water, add a pinch of salt, when boiling add the pasta and boil vigorously until just cooked. Drain immediately, rinse with cold water, drain again and then put into a bowl with a little olive oil and stir gently until coated. This will stop the pasta sticking together into a clump.
* Wash the spinach thoroughly, chop it coarsely and add to the cooked pasta.
* Wash and quarter the tomatoes and add to the mix.
* Now make the dressing.
* Juice the lemon and put juice in blender with the olive oil, garlic, parsley, half the basil leaves, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
* Add the dressing to the salad, mix it all gently together and sprinkle 1oz of roughly chopped basil leaves on top as a garnish.
* This is so easy to make and yet has such an intensive flavour, it is marvellous just eaten with ciabatta bread and rough red wine.

Pasta salad with currants, olives and pine nuts


Ingredients:

1 lb Penne pasta
1 ea Garlic clove, quartered
1 ts Salt
1 c Packed stemmed fresh parsley
1/4 c Fresh lemon juice
1/4 c Red wine vinegar
1 ts Curry powder
1 ts Sugar
3/4 ts Ground cumin
1/2 ts Pepper
1 c Olive oil
1 ea Red onion
-- peeled, finely chopped
1 c Sliced kalamata olives
-- (pitted)
2/3 c Dried currants
2/3 c Toasted pine nuts
Fresh parsley sprigs

Cherry tomatoesCook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Transfer pasta to large bowl.

Meanwhile, blend garlic and salt to paste in processor, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add 1 cup parsley and mince. Blend in lemon juice, vinegar, curry, sugar, cumin and pepper. With machine running, gradually add oil through feed tube in thin steady stream.

Pour dressing over pasta. Add onion, olives, currants and pine nuts to pasta and toss. Season with pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Garnish salad with parsley sprigs and cherry tomatoes and serve.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

* 4 oz or 100 grams sundried tomatoes in oil
* 4 oz or 100 grams pine nuts
* 1 cup of fresh bazil
* 3 cloves of garlic
* 1/2 cup of olive oil
* pasta spirals
Directions:


Combine all ingredients except pasta and blend for three minutes in blender. Meanwhile boil pasta until cooked. Drain pasta and combine with pesto ingredients. Serve hot or cold.

Serves: 4.

Pasta Salad With Roasted Carrots, Currants, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

* 1 cup orzo(a rice shaped pasta)or sub any small pasta shape
* 1/2 tsp. tumeric
* 4 carrots, peeled
* 1 tsp. ground cumin
* 1 tsp. ground coriander
* 1 tsp. paprika
* 1/2 cup currants
* 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
* 3 tblsp chopped fresh coriander
* 1/4 cup virgin olive oil 2 tblsp spiced vinegar
* salt and pepper
Directions:

Cook orzo in plenty of boiling water with 1/2 tsp tumeric added for 8-10 minutes or al dente. Drain and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 180*C. Cut carrots in half lengthwise then slice on the diagonal into 1cm thick pieces. Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with a little oil,sprinkle with spices and toss to coat evenly. Roast for30 minutes, remove and allow to cool. Mix orzo,carrots,currants,pinenuts,coriander,oil and vinegar together well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot as an accompaniment or cold as a salad.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 10 mins


Tangy Pasta Salad

This recipe serves:
Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes



Ingredients
12 ounces fusilli "corkscrew" pasta
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 cup diced red or green bell peppers
1 cup diced cucumbers
3/4 cup diced Vidalia onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese



Cooking Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente. Drain, rinse and cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions and half of the parsley. Add the cooled pasta and stir to combine.

3. Fold in the Parmesan cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta salad to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with feta cheese and the remaining parsley.

[laura g]

like i can never remember a joke, i can never remember a recipe properly! once had a brilliant warm pasta and beetroot salad. some kind of wilted greenery is involved too. cheese is a major ingrediant. could be feta? or mozzarella type? i'd had a few drinks but i remember something orange too.

be interested to know if anyones heard of this - quite fancy giving it a go!!