5 Essential Components of Making Pasta Salad
School’s almost out for the summer
, and I’ve got end-of-the year lunch packing doldrums. How about you?
I forgot how easy it is to make a large portion of pasta salad: simple to prepare, lasts through the week, and, most importantly, delicious if made properly. There are just a few components to consider:
The Pasta
Any short pasta shape will do, rather than a large pasta choice. “Long pasta” refers to any shape you can twist around your fork.
Remember to always cook your pasta in a large pot of salted water. The directions on the package are an excellent guide for proper cooking, which will vary according to the size and shape of the noodle.
After draining well, toss the pasta with ½ to1 tablespoon of olive oil and allow to cool. It will prevent the noodles from sticking together as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
The Protein
Beans are an easy no-cook pantry option. Grilled or roasted shrimp, chicken, or chopped meats are also great options. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and toss them into your pasta salad.
The Veggies
Your salad needs a crunchy to element add a little texture, found in the form of a raw veggie. Add at least a two servings of chopped vegetables such as bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, baby spinach, or arugula.
The Dressing
I prefer vinaigrettes, they are far less caloric than other options. Here are some of my favorites.
The Add-Ons
These are optional items, but they will undoubtedly take your salad to the next level of yumminess. Fresh herbs are always a welcome addition, as well as cheeses (cubed to be bite-sized or ciliegine mozzarella), finely chopped onion, toasted nuts, or tortilla strips.
Here are some of the pasta salads I often make in my kitchen. For each recipe, simply:
place the pasta in a large bowl
with the main ingredients
then add the dressing—check out this post for some of my favorite salad dressing recipes
The Recipes
Here you’ll find our favorite pasta salad recipes. Put your own riff on them, if you’d like, and to make them your own. Each them is about 4 to 6 servings.
Italian Tuna Salad
dairy-free
6 oz jar of good quality tuna in olive oil (Sometimes jars are closer to 5.3, just use a bit less pasta)
8 oz (half a box) farfalle (butterfly) pasta
1 cup cannellini beans
⅔ cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped celery stalks
2 ½ to 3 cups loosely packed baby arugula
¼ cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
¼ tablespoon of salt
Antipasto Salad
The recipe below is for a tortellini pasta salad. If you would prefer a lower carb option, simply remove the pasta and add about 6 oz of roughly chopped romaine lettuce.
6 oz cheese tortellini
1 cup rinsed garbanzo beans
8 oz salami, cubed
8 oz pepperoni, cubed
1 /3 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini peppers
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced marinated roasted red peppers
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
8 oz small ciliegine
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Stella’s Zesty Vegan Pasta Salad
8 oz fusilli pasta
1 cup canellinni beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup marinated banana peppers, chopped
1 cup vegan cashew queso
Caprese Pasta Salad
Kid-friendly. Really just a simple Caprese Salad with the addition of tortellini. Total time prepping this salad is well under 15 minutes.
10oz cheese tortellini
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
6-8oz ciliegine mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh basil, cut chiffonade
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Shrimp Pasta Salad with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
(dairy-free)
8 oz rotelle (wheel) pasta
½ pound small shrimp (41/50 or 51/60)
2 tablespoons vegan green goddess dressing
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup canned or marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
⅓ cup fresh basil, chiffonade cut
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix shrimp with the green goddess dressing. Place on a baking sheet and cook for about 7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
Dressing
Vinaigrette of your choice. Click here for a few tasty options.