No barbecue, garden gathering, or summer outing is complete without pasta salad.
I love the fresh, contrasting flavors of pasta salad when I dive into grilled food. It's a match made in heaven. Soft noodles, a spicy dressing, crunchy vegetables and a dash of flavor mean pasta salad is here to stay.
The best dressing for pasta salads.
There are two camps of pasta salad lovers: mayonnaise lovers and mayonnaise haters. I love mayonnaise, especially kewpie mayonnaise, but I'm a fan of oil-based dressings for pasta salad. Somehow they feel fresher and lighter. Plus, oil-based pasta salads hold up better when served both cold and at room temperature, so everyone wins.
This particular dressing is Japanese-inspired with spicy rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce. It is light but umami and tastes absolutely amazing. The toasted sesame oil has a bit of a nuttiness to it, the rice vinegar has just the right amount of acid, and the soy sauce adds umami and salt. It's very, very good.
how to make pasta salad
Should you rinse your pasta for pasta salad?
Yes. This is the only case where you should rinse the paste. We usually want the starchy coating that the pasta has after it is cooked, but in the case of cold pasta salad, the starch makes it rubbery and clumpy. Lightly rinse the pasta under cold water to keep the pasta loose and separate, then drain well before dressing.
Alternatively, you can drain well and toss the pasta with a touch of oil, coating and loosening each piece. I personally like to rinse because it cools the pasta down a bit and I don't want the vegetables to wilt when I add them to the pasta.
What is the best type of pasta for pasta salad?
Dry pasta all the way! Save your fresh pasta for silky sauces or fresh seafood. Short pasta with lots of nooks and crannies are great for catching dressings and herbs.
Also, they are easily picked and easy to eat. Try: fusilli, rotini, penne, orecchiette, bucati corti, farfalle, lumache, radiatori, cavatapi, gemelli, campanelle, or riccioli. There are many fun ways to short pasta and they will all work well in pasta salad.
What kind of vegetables to add to pasta salad?
The rule of thumb is that if the vegetable tastes good raw, it's good enough to go with a pasta salad. Just make sure you cut everything into an appropriate size so you don't have a giant piece of cucumber that you're biting into. I like to julienne everything because it somehow makes the vegetables go better with the pasta. No florets or giant chunks, everything should be delicate and bite-sized. If you're not a big fan of raw vegetables, quickly blanch them in boiling water and then in cold water before adding them to your pasta salad. Also, leafy greens (other than kale) tend to wilt, so add them just before serving.
Here are some vegetables you can try:
- crunchy: bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, celery, corn, peas,
- juicy: tomatoes, cucumbers
- leafy: kale, romaine lettuce, arugula, baby spinach, basil, mint
Can you make pasta salad ahead of time?
Yes, that is one of the joys of pasta salad. You can definitely do it ahead of time; I recommend you make this the day before or the morning of the day you plan to serve.
Tips and tricks
- Cook the pasta tender. Be sure to cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Since the pasta won't be cooking any further in the sauce, you want to cook it perfectly—not too mushy, not too savory, just tender enough. There is usually a time range on the box, cook it on the higher side of the range.
- Avoid dry pasta salad. Pasta tends to absorb dressing like a sponge. Save some of the dressing to mix into the salad just before serving so all items are tasty, shiny, and lightly coated with the dressing.
- Season. Be sure to taste your salad after it's cold. Cold food tends to taste off, so taste it and adjust if necessary.
- Texture. Textures make eating fun and that's why people come back to a plate again and again. A pasta salad without texture tends to be too mushy. Add nuts and seeds, crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, eggs with jam, soft cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, or even chips or crushed crackers. Add the garnish at the last minute, just before serving so the crunchy things stay crisp.
- Noodles. If you like pasta, why not try a cold noodle salad? Soba, rice noodles, and egg noodles all work well, just make sure you dress them well so they don't stick together.
I hope your summer is full of sunshine and pasta salad!
lol steph
Pasta salad
No barbecue, garden gathering, or summer outing is complete without pasta salad.
For two people
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Total time 25 minutes
- 1/3 cup of rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup of neutral oil
- 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 6 oz of favorite short pasta
- 2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper cored and sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper cored and sliced
- 1 cucumber seedless and julienne
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes half reduced
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh coriander coarsely minced
- 1/3 cup green onions sliced
Nutrition Facts
Pasta salad
Amount per proportion
Calories 430 calories from fat 248
%Daily value*
fat 27,5g42%
Saturated Fat 3.7g23%
Cholesterol 31 mg10%
Sodium 253 mg11%
Potassium 630 mg18%
carbohydrates 37,5g13%
fiber 4g17%
Sugar 7.6g8%
protein 8gsixteen%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
