Pasta Salad Recipes

Total Time: About 30 minutes

Yield: About 10-12 cups

Source: Trying to copy something I ate at a gathering years ago:)

Ingredients:

• 2 12 oz. boxes Tri - Color Rotini
• 1 16 oz. bottle Italian Dressing
• 4 Carrots
• 2 12 oz cans Black Olives
• 1 pt Grape Tomatoes

You can easily halve this recipe.

Steps:

1. In a large pot with just a splash of oil, boil your noodles just until tender enough to eat. Don't overcook them, the end product tastes much better if your noodles are still somewhat firm.
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2. Drain your noodles immediately, run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Place them in the fridge to chill while cutting your vegetables.
3. Peel and dice 4 carrots.
4. Cut all of your olives in half.
5. Quarter your grape tomatoes.
6. Place all of your vegetables in the bowl with your pasta, add your bottle of Italian dressing, mix well.
7. Serve chilled. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb penne pasta
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• Zest of 1 medium fresh lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 medium red onion, halved and sliced
• 5 oz mozzarella, cut into 1/2 cubes

Directions:

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. rotini
• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
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• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh dill leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup (6 oz.) fresh Parmesan, finely shredded

Directions:

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry pasta shells
• 1 (8 oz) can small young peas
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
• 1 packet (dry) ranch dressing mix
• 3-4 peeled, shredded carrots
• bacon bits (as desired)
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder

Directions

Cook pasta shells as directed on package. Add in carrots too when you cook the shells (about 10 minutes) drain, rinse with cold water. Put into a large bowl. Toss in can of peas, drained.

In separate bowl, mix ranch dressing, bacon bits, onion powder and mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip.)

Add your pasta, carrots and pea mixture. Stir well and place in refrigerator until chilled.

(This is as good as the stuff you buy in the box and much cheaper to make)

P.S. Just add desired amount of bacon bits, it's really up to the individual making this if they would like a little more or a little less.)

By imaqt1962 from illinois

How about your pasta and parmesan, mixed with italian dressing or garlic oil and vinegar?

I agree with the previous poster. Chill some pasta, add italian dressing, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. I like to add croutons to mine.

I just make up some tri-colored pasta, and use Good Seasons Italian Dressing on it. top with some grated parm cheese. Awesome! I think I will make some now! lol

Ranch dressing with bacon bits added to cooked pasta and parm is good too.

If you want something a little different, but still simple try this: instead of Italian dressing, mix half and half vinegar&oil dressing with pesto and top with feta cheese instead of parmesan. If I have a few minutes I'll also add some chopped zucchini and left-over chicken, but it's great even without the extras.

Whenever I make pasta salad I'm never sure how it's going to turn out. Sometimes I use pasta tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. Other times I use pasta, maybe some tomatoes, olives, onions. It just depends on what I'm in the mood for.

The only thing I consitently use is italian dressing.

Hi. You will not want to believe it, but THE absolute best dressing for pasta is found at Dollar General. It's called Zesty Italian and it is $1 a bottle. I didn't believe it either, but try it! It's delicious! My favorite pasta salad is rotini, green peppers, carrots, onion, green olives, parmesan and hard salami. Pour on the DG dressing and let it sit for a couple hours. Stir and enjoy. Sometimes I make it with just the pasta and the green olives with the dressing and parm -- I love the saltiness of the olives. Boy, now I'm hungry!!

My recipe --

1 box rainbow spiral pasta, cooked

1 tomato chopped

1 onion, sliced

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

Black olives, sliced

1/4 cup Parm cheese, grated

1/2 bottle Italian dressing

Combine ingredients, let stand overnight. Before serving, add a little more dressing if it is too dry!

this recipe actually won a free dinner at a local ponderosa type buffet.

It is simply the dressing you'd use for potato salad

mayo, mustard, pickle relish, a little vineagar.

Add to cooked , rinsed pasta anything you would put in a vegetable salad, except the lettuce. Cukes, radishes, tomatoes, onion, pepper, celery, celery seed . even pimento adds color and flavor. The longer it sits the better it is. Enjoy, Ceil

The trick to my pasta salad is the RED onion cut up VERY small!!!!

Gives it an awesome taste........along with everything else.........!!!

Cindy

Louisiana

"An easy, yet very yummy pasta salad. Almost any type of pasta may be used. Best if left to sit overnight."

Original recipe yield: 12 servings.

Prep Time:

15 Minutes

Cook Time:

12 Minutes

Ready In:

30 Minutes

Servings:

12 (change)

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta

* 1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian salad dressing

* 2 cucumbers, chopped

* 6 tomatoes, chopped

* 1 bunch green onions, chopped

* 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

* 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

2. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the Italian dressing, cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions. In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, and gently mix into the salad. Cover, and refrigerate until serving.

pasta salad that we love is ;

olive oil, red wine vinegar and italian spices

we add crumbled feta cheese and small cherry tomatoes then small pieces of pepperoni cut up

it goes fast when I make this

My sister tells me she makes it with bottled Italian salad dressing and whatever she has in her refrigerator. She uses up all the leftover veggies. It can include peas, olives, cucumbers, etc. This is how she cleans out her refrig in the summer.

For a change, why not try it with mayo or salad dressing and tuna, etc.?

Get some Salad Supreme in the spice dept. It is a mix of spices. Cut up tomatoes, cukes and cauliflower if you like. Sprinkle about 1/2 bottle of the Supreme on these and let sit overnight. Then in the morning mix the veggies, do not drain, with the cooked noodles and pour Zesty Italian dressing over all. Delicious!

I use Good Seasons Italian dressing and add whatever veggies I have. Will work great with just the pasta and parmesan!

thanks for all the great ideas!!!!!!!!!

Suggestion: Instead of using parmesan cheese that comes in a can and is finely grated, use cheese cubes. I had it once and it was fabulous.

use the tri colored pasta cook and cool pasta add cherry tomatoes cut in half, diced cucumbers black olives green olives,cubed motz cheese, add bottled Italian dressing and mix well just before serving add your parmasan cheese this is an easy salad and every one loves it I make it for partys and pot luck dinners it is alway a hit Hope you enjoy

I add Artichoke hearts to mine...mmmmmm

I use black and green olives, some baby carrots sliced maybe some vidala onion and celery. Use mayo with a little Italian dressing. Comes out yummy!