Ignite FB Tracking PixelHow to Make Simple & Delicious Pasta Salad - Taylor Stewart

How to Make Simple & Delicious Pasta Salad

by Taylor Stewart 07/31/2022

Pasta salad is an old standby regarding potluck recipes. Most recipes take less than an hour to make and involve inexpensive ingredients you might already have in your kitchen. However, since pasta salad is such a diverse dish, there is an overwhelming amount of different recipes available.

If you’re not sure where to start, here is a simple recipe for a crowd-pleasing Italian pasta salad for your next potluck.

Ingredients

1 box or package of your choice of pasta

1 cup chopped cucumber1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

1 can of sliced black olives

1/4 cup of diced red onion

Your favorite Italian salad dressing

Process

  1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box, adding a pinch of salt to the water.
  2. Drain the pasta and set aside while you prep the veggies.
  3. Move the pasta into a bowl and add in the prepared veggies. Mix with a large, flat spoon to avoid pasta breakage.
  4. Add salad dressing to taste. For this size of batch, anywhere from half a cup to one cup should work well.
  5. Place the entire bowl in the refrigerator for a while before serving. This will bring everything to the same cool, refreshing temperature and keep the veggies fresh as possible.

Tips

Here are some additional expert tips for your pasta salad:

  • Opt for a pasta shape that’s small and easy to combine with veggies. Some popular choices include farfalle, rotini and penne.
  • Once you drain the pasta into a strainer, run it under cold water to reduce the temperature instantly.
  • Before adding onions to the mixture, let them soak in a small amount of salad dressing for about 10 minutes. This will make it easier to enjoy the flavor of the onions without it overpowering the rest of the salad.
  • Skinning the cucumbers is completely up to your preference. However, consider removing the seeds. This reduces the amount of excess moisture in your pasta salad and makes for a cleaner look.
  • Drain the olives carefully to avoid adding extra water to your mixture.
  • Slice the tomatoes in half if you wish. For larger cherry tomatoes, this might make them more convenient to eat in combination with the other ingredients.
  • Add finely chopped pepperoni, salami, ham or your favorite cheese to add some protein to your pasta salad. You can also top with grated parmesan cheese for a savory garnish.
About the Author
Author

Taylor Stewart

Taylor Stewart was born and raised in Richmond, Va. He attended Elon University on a baseball scholarship, but after suffering an unlikely injury, he was forced to give up on his dreams of making it to the big leagues.In 2006, Taylor moved to Bonita Springs, FL to pursue a career as a Professional Golfer. After traveling up and down the east coast of the United States playing in various golf tournaments on various golf tours, Taylor suffered yet another injury and was forced to change his career plans. Now, as a real estate agent,Taylor as chosen to put the same drive and determination that made him successful in sports, into helping others find their own piece of paradise in southwest Florida. Especially for those living in or looking for that perfect golf community, Taylor is able to guide his buyers and sellers through his expertise of the golf game and southwest Florida golf courses. Taylor is"Your ace in the hole."