Any good pasta salad recipes?

We have company in town and we're having a cook out this weekend. I wanted to try a new pasta salad (a cold pasta salad) and wondered if anybody had a yummy recipe to try. Please note: I use basic things to cook... I don't have time to drive all over buying ingredients, so if it's pretty simple, that's best. :)


Thanks!Any good pasta salad recipes?
I've got one for you that couldn't be any easier.





Boil your pasta. Any shape will do. I like to use Angel Hair and break it in half.





Rinse in cool water to stop the cooking and help it cool faster.





Chop the veggies of your choice. Some of my favorites are:





Tomato, Bell Peppers, Broccoli,


Cucumber, Cauliflower, Celery,


Red Onion, Carrots, Zucchini





You can use any combination of your choice - Don't like Broccoli - don't put it in!





Dress with a good Italian Dressing. I like to lighten it up with a light Italian dressing but it doesn't matter. I sometimes then sprinkle with some shredded parmesan cheese.





I have also been known to make it more like a meal by adding some diced ham, mozzarella cheese. The beauty of this salad is that you can make it what ever you want it to be and it doesn't have mayonnaise so you don't need to worry about it in the sun or heat.





Hope you like it.Any good pasta salad recipes?
Curry Pasta Salad





The quantities for this recipe are down to taste, it's a great recipe to experiment with. Any variety of fruit can be used. Carrot, onions and lemon juice also work very well.


Ideal to serve at a BBQ or Buffet.








Ingredients





100g Uncooked Spiral Pasta


30g Raisins


Pine Nuts


50ml Pineapple Juice


Apple cored and finely chopped


1 Tsp Curry Powder


Salt to taste


30g Pineapple Chunks


Mayonnaise





Cooking instructions





Cook pasta for 8 - 10 minutes or until soft.


In a large bowl combine the curry powder, salt, mayonnaise, pineapple juice.


Add cooked pasta, toss to coat.


Add apple, raisins and pine nuts.


Mix well.


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Labels: Pasta, Salads





Hope that this helps and that your weekend goes well.
Here's one that never ceases to get raves from guests:





1 box rotelle pasta, cooked al dente, drained and cooled


1 chub dry salami, peeled and cut into cubes


1 4oz container crumbled feta cheese


1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into pieces


1 can sliced olives, drained


1 bunch green onions, chopped, green parts only


1 bottle Berensteins' Cheese Fantastico Salad Dressing (or your favorite Italian dressing)





Mix the above together and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight. Toss before serving and add more dressing if you want.





Note: I prefer to let this salad sit overnight. The flavors meld beautifully, the pasta plumps, and its not too oily. You can also substitute low fat or fat free dressing, as well as adding orange or yellow bell peppers for more color. Bon Appetit!
There is alot of recepies on youtube
Pesto Pasta Salad





Ingredients


4 cups uncooked spiral pasta (use rice pasta for wheat-free version)


1 cup fresh basil pesto


2 Tbsp chopped green olives, or olive tapenade


1/4 cup pine nuts


1 cup frozen peas, defrosted (or fresh if you can get them)


12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved


Several fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped


1 Tbsp olive oil


Salt and pepper


Method


1 Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Make sure the water is salted (at least a half teaspoon per quart). Remove pasta from heat and strain when pasta is cooked, but still firm (al dente).





2 Put pasta in a big bowl. Mix in fresh basil pesto, green olives, and pine nuts. Gently mix in cherry tomatoes, peas, fresh basil leaves and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill or serve at room temperature.





Serves 6-8.





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Italian Pasta Salad





1 package (7 oz) elbow or other macaroni (about 2 cups)


2 cups Yoplait庐 Fat Free plain yogurt (from 2-lb container)


1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese


1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning


3/4 teaspoon garlic salt


1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)


1/2 cup sliced ripe olives


2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices (1 1/2 cups)


1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices (2 cups)





1. Cook, drain and rinse macaroni as directed on package.


2. In large bowl, mix yogurt, cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic salt and onion. Stir in macaroni. Add remaining ingredients; toss. Cover and refrigerate any remaining salad.





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6 cups cooked medium size shell macaroni


5 hard boiled eggs, diced


1 cup canned peas


1 cup diced celery


1 cup diced onions


1/4 cup sweet pickle relish








Sauce:


2 cups miracle whip


2 tbs yellow mustard


1 - 2 tbs white vinegar


2 - 4 tbs milk


1 tbs black pepper


2 tsp kosher salt





Cook macaroni according to package directions, al le dente. Drain and chill is ice water to stop cooking.


鈥ix the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, add macaroni, veggies and pour salad dressing over macaroni. You want a creamy texture with a nice tangy flavor. Add additional miracle whip, milk and vinegar if needed.





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Antipasto Salad


(This one's very versatile, you can add and take out whatever you want. I usually make mine with pepperoni, salami, provolone, olives, tomatoes, a few seasonings %26amp; Italain dressing.)





Ingredients:


1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta


1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained


1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni, halved


1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained


1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper


1/2 cup diced green pepper


4 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced


2 garlic cloves, minced


2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil


2 teaspoons salt


1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano


1/2 teaspoon pepper


1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1 cup olive oil


2/3 cup lemon juice


Directions:


Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large salad bowl. Add the next 12 ingredients; mix well.


In a jar with tight-fitting lid, shake oil and lemon juice. Pour over salad and toss. Cover and refrigerate 6 hour or overnight. Stir before serving. Yield: 12-16 servings.