Pasta Salad Ideas

[melissaotto1982]

Im looking for new pasta salad ideas? Does any one have any good ones?

[alamedann]

I have a simple and quick recipe I use when the basil and tomatoes are at their peak.

Cook 1 bag of bowtie pasta.  (I find that's the best to use for this kind of pasta)
Mince 5 cloves of garlic.
Chop 4 tomatoes into smaller pieces.
Cut 10-12 basil leaves into thin pieces.
Put 5 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan.
Add garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Then add tomatoes and basil; cook until warm.
Add cooked bowtie pasta.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.

Can be served warm or cold.  The amounts I give are approximations.  Feel free to use as little or more as you like.  This would also make a nice base for a veggie pasta salad.

[briannajeanxo]

ive made one recommended by a friend thats elbow macaroni, peas, canned tuna, and mayo then salt and pepper to taste. i thought it would be gross, but it was pretty good.

[melissajh44]

Chicken Pasta Salad With Apples

    1 large apple
    3 tablespoons mayonnaise
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 tablespoon mustard
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon ground pepper
    1 teaspoon celery seed
    5 ounces canned chicken
    16 ounces rotelle pasta
    8 ounces brie cheese

Directions:

    1
    The amounts above are suggestions. Tailor to your own tastes!
    2
    Cook and drain pasta according to directions.
    3
    Return pasta to pot and add olive oil, tossing to coat.
    4
    "Crumble" (as much as brie can crumble) cheese and add to pasta.
    5
    Add chicken to a seperate bowl and use a fork to break apart into small chunks.
    6
    Add mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, and corriander to the chicken.
    7
    Mix to combine then add to the pasta.
    8
    Peel, core, and dice the apple and add to the pasta.
    9
    Serve warm or cold.

[vickysue]

T like the sound of both those salads. We eat a lot of cold food in the summer when the days are hitting 100-112. Thanks for te recipes.

[djohnson43]

Try choosing a pasta besides for spagetti and lasgna noodles and cook them up then let them cool. You then add either tuna salad or chicken salad, relish to taste, some peas and carrots if you want. Add the amount of Mayo you like to blend it all together and salt and pepper to taste. It's real good if you do it the day before so it is nice and cold specially on the hot summer days.

[jvang2]

my salad pasta is simple: i buy the salad packages from the store, the dressing and the chicken meats. i dont really know how to "make" salads just the "ready" ones, 

[sherri89101]

I'm not much of a chef. I usually go out and buy that Suddenly Salad box mix.

[metsrock69]

I Just Add Bacon Bits To  Some Elbows And  A Little Salad Dressing.

[kountrypeach80]

my friend gave me this recipe and i love it.

twirly multi color pasta
fresh brocolli and cauliflower
tomatoes
black olives
shredded cheddar cheese
italian salad dressing


mix together and place in refridgerator for a hour or two then serve

[batmobile]

oooh...i had a similar idea  with the italian dressing...but i made shrimp spaghetti with tomato sauce/italian seasoning add with meatballs  ...and alfredo pasta is not hard at all  use chicken or shrimp w/ capers

[dodgers16]

   I love to make and eat different pasta salad's, and there have been a few great recipe's posted that I can not wait to try!! Thanks 

[lvstephanie]

my friend gave me this recipe and i love it.

twirly multi color pasta
fresh brocolli and cauliflower
tomatoes
black olives
shredded cheddar cheese
italian salad dressing


mix together and place in refridgerator for a hour or two then serve

Godd suggestion! 

I've made this one before and really like it, although I've changed it just a bit from how you described.... I've never used brocolli or cauliflower (although the broc. does sound intriguing and I think I may try that out). For tomatoes, the cherry tomatoes work best so you don't have to cut them up and lose all of their juice. Instead of shredded cheese, I've used cheese cubes, and I tend to mix both cheddar as well as mozzarella. The Italian dressing works best as the "zesty" variety, since it's mostly the spices and garlic that you're after; the "zesty" kind usually packs more of those in and uses less oil, so you don't need as much to get the flavor and the salad is less oily. Finally I like to add some Italian deli meat to it, usually pre-cooked, sliced peperoni that I then cut the slices into halves or quarters (depending on the size).

[lywb2168]

my friend gave me this recipe and i love it.

twirly multi color pasta
fresh brocolli and cauliflower
tomatoes
black olives
shredded cheddar cheese
italian salad dressing


mix together and place in refridgerator for a hour or two then serve

Godd suggestion! 

I've made this one before and really like it, although I've changed it just a bit from how you described.... I've never used brocolli or cauliflower (although the broc. does sound intriguing and I think I may try that out). For tomatoes, the cherry tomatoes work best so you don't have to cut them up and lose all of their juice. Instead of shredded cheese, I've used cheese cubes, and I tend to mix both cheddar as well as mozzarella. The Italian dressing works best as the "zesty" variety, since it's mostly the spices and garlic that you're after; the "zesty" kind usually packs more of those in and uses less oil, so you don't need as much to get the flavor and the salad is less oily. Finally I like to add some Italian deli meat to it, usually pre-cooked, sliced peperoni that I then cut the slices into halves or quarters (depending on the size).

You could also add the dried tomatoes, add shrimp or chicken, event he chicken in a can is good, for the cheese I guess any type of cheese would do I like feta and even Parmesan is good.

[alaskakaren]

Looks like you got a lot of great recipes.