Pasta Salad -- what is your definition?

[jpcher]

I see a lot of menus in the "Entertaining and Hospitality" folder that include Pasta Salad, without mentioning a recipe.

I've had pasta salad about 100,000 different ways (okay maybe not that many .)

To me, Pasta Salad could mean anything from a BLT salad (rotini, tomato, iceburg lettuce, bacon with a bacon ranch dressing) or Tuna pasta (elbow noodles, tuna, red onion, tomato and a mayo dressing) to Sundried pasta (Cavatappi, sundried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, nuts with a vinagrette dressing)



When someone mentions Pasta Salad, what comes to your mind?



Oh, and since this is in the recipe request folder . . . Recipes! Please! 

[Outdoor Girl]

Pasta salad, by definition for me, means a cold salad that contains pasta and some kind of dressing.  Macaroni salad would technically be pasta salad.

But to make it a good pasta salad, it needs veggies, too, and a lighter, non-creamy dressing for me.

My favourite is some kind of shaped pasta like rotini or fusili, whole wheat and vegetable tri coloured mixed, with lots of peppers, red onion, chick peas, feta cheese and Greek dressing.  I'd maybe throw sun-dried tomatoes in but not regular tomates so I don't really care for them.  I'd maybe throw in some cucumber, too.

[cicero]

I'm not a huge fan of pasta salad but if i make it it's either with tuna and veg and olives, or with feta cheese, tomaotes, olives, greek dressing, or an Asian style with shredded veg, sprouts, and peanut dressing

[Giggity]

Pasta salad to me is cold. It has pasta, some sort of dressing / tasty stuff, chopped vegetables, maybe some protein.

[kckgirl]

Ours is a cold salad with veggies and Italian salad dressing. We add grape tomatoes (left whole) so those who don't like tomatoes can still eat it. For a funeral this weekend it will have broccoli, carrots, celery, and the tomatoes.

[Zilla]

Pasta salad to me is a cold pasta with a mayo or vinegar based dressing.  It will vary in additions such as black olives, bacon or diced veggies etc.


My favorite is ranch bacon pasta salad.

[Acadianna]

Shell pasta, brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, celery -- maybe a little onion -- and chopped roast chicken.  Mix with ranch dressing.  I might add some corn and tomatoes to it next time.

[MrsCrazyPete]

My pasta salad is tri-color rotini with Italian dressing, McCormick Salad Seasoning, grape tomatoes, and a green pepper & a yellow pepper each, diced. It's served cold.

[marcel]

cold pasta with any kind of dressing and vegetables and/or meat of any kind.

Anything more specific then this is not a definition of pasta salad, but specifications for a specific recipe.



To explain what I mean with recipe specification instead of definition, a PP said mayo or vinegar based dressing, this is a  addition that is not part of the general definition of pasta salad, since Personally I will usuually use pesto or cucumber/avocado dressing for my pasta salad.

My two favourite pasata salads are:
(I do not give amounts in recipes like this, since everything is to taste.)


sea food pasta salad with cucumber avocado dressing.

- Tagiatelli. (other pasta also possible off course)
- lettuce, whatever you like, I prefer iceberg or Romaine
- tomato
- cucumber
- peppers
- etc. Whatever vegetables you like.
- sea food, whatever you like.

dressing:
- 1 avocado
- 1 peeled cuucmber
- dill
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- salt

put ingredients in blender and blend untill smooth.



pesto pasta salad with chicken

- My favourite pasta for this one is fusili
- pesto
- lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, etc.
- sun dried tomatoes.
- dates
- feta
- marinated diced chicken


marinade for ckicken
I usually marinad with a mix of olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, curry powder, paprika, garlic, and whatever I fell like at the time, but I say just use any marinade you are used to.

[blarg314]

To me, cold Italian pasta with  some sort of dressing, and possibly other stuff (vegetables, meat, cheese, beans and legumes) in as well.

The definition in general is about as vague as specifying "garden salad", which basically means lettuce of some sort, with or without various cold sliced or diced vegetables, and some sort of dressing, possibly vinegar or mayo or yoghurt based, and maybe with some other stuff (like croutons or a bit of cheese) added in.

[AustenFan]

I like my pasta salad odd and simple.

Tri-colour rotini, Catalina salad dressing, small cubes of medium cheddar cheese. Sounds disgusting, but is absolutely delicious.

[amylouky]

My favorite, because it's yummy AND pretty (very colorful!). I up the dressing a bit (actually, almost double it), and use red/yellow peppers because I don't like green.

Firecracker pasta salad

2 packages (9 ounces each) BUITONI Refrigerated Three Cheese Tortellini, prepared according to package directions, chilled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup pitted and halved ripe olives
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (.75 ounce) shredded romano cheese


Directions
HEAT oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Pour into large bowl; cool. Whisk in vinegar.

ADD prepared pasta, tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper, olives, Parmesan cheese and Romano cheese; toss well to coat. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

[Isometric]

What immediately comes to mind for me is spiral pasta (just the regular pasta colour!) with a red (tomato?) based sauce, with very small bits of red capsicum (peppers), maybe some other very fine vegies like onion and green capsicum. It's fairly popular at BBQ's in my group - you can buy it by weight from grocery stores, that and potato salad are usually staples!

Of course there are many types of pasta salad, I would define any salad with pasta as pasta salad!

(I'm in Australia)

[jpcher]

The definition in general is about as vague as specifying "garden salad", which basically means lettuce of some sort, with or without various cold sliced or diced vegetables, and some sort of dressing, possibly vinegar or mayo or yoghurt based, and maybe with some other stuff (like croutons or a bit of cheese) added in.

That seems to be the general consensus.

For some reason I was getting it into my head that pasta salad was pasta with veggies in it and a vinaigrette type dressing (no meats.)

Like a Tuna Pasta or a Chicken Pasta salad and a mayo-based dressing would be called a Tuna or Chicken salad with pasta in it instead of a Pasta salad with tuna in it.

Don't ask me why my brain was befuddled. It isn't important. I was just curious.

I actually thought there would be more of a definition.



Thanks all!


(eta: Special thanks for the recipes and/or ingredients for your favorites. I'll definitely be trying some of these!)

[MOM21SON]

My favorite pasta salad is.

1lb liguine, cooked
1 small bottle Italian dressing
3/4 bottle of salad supreme
1 chopped seeded cucumber
1 chopped seeded tomato
1 small jar sliced black olives.

Just added to my grocery list.