Pasta Salad - How do you do yours?

loopylou · 12 Jun 2012 at 18:50

I'm going to a BBQ on the weekend, and have offered to bring a potato salad and a pasta salad. I'm fine on the potato salad front but need some inspiration on the pasta salad, ideally meat free as I am catering for one veggie.

So OCUK, how do you do yours?

GhostlyPea · 12 Jun 2012 at 18:55

Pasta, diced peppers, chives and sweetcorn then mix it up with mayo. Could also add some raisins

- GP

Woden · 12 Jun 2012 at 18:57

Swap the peppers for chillies (seriously peppers are evil, they dont even look edible) and add some tuna/prawns/chicken

loopylou · 12 Jun 2012 at 18:59

Can't do chillis, there are going to be 5 breast feeding mums there, no one is going to want to deal with a new born with chilli bum!

Woden · 12 Jun 2012 at 19:00

Be right, new borns are born with chillybum! Trust me.

wango2 · 12 Jun 2012 at 20:46

My favourite pasta salad is dead simple. Cook some pasta, drain it and stick it back over a very low heat. Stir in a jar of decent pesto. Chuck in a decent amount of frozen peas. Add a couple of good handfuls of spinach and stir until it's wilted and the peas are cooked through. Really nice and pretty healthy, works well next to some chicken or on its own.

tom_nieto · 12 Jun 2012 at 21:22

wango2 said:
My favourite pasta salad is dead simple. Cook some pasta, drain it and stick it back over a very low heat. Stir in a jar of decent pesto. Chuck in a decent amount of frozen peas. Add a couple of good handfuls of spinach and stir until it's wilted and the peas are cooked through. Really nice and pretty healthy, works well next to some chicken or on its own.

This but perhaps make your own pesto with basil and mint. A pea, ham and mint pasta salad would be tasty.

loopylou · 12 Jun 2012 at 21:31

wango2 said:
My favourite pasta salad is dead simple. Cook some pasta, drain it and stick it back over a very low heat. Stir in a jar of decent pesto. Chuck in a decent amount of frozen peas. Add a couple of good handfuls of spinach and stir until it's wilted and the peas are cooked through. Really nice and pretty healthy, works well next to some chicken or on its own.

Yum, this may be a winner

randomshenans · 13 Jun 2012 at 08:02

Great one is roasting up some veg (red onion, peppers, garlic etc) in the oven with some herbs and olive oil, when they're cooked pour in to the pasta and season. It's an easy winner.

bsoltan · 14 Jun 2012 at 13:01

Home made pesto is winner, specially if you're already using mayo for the potato salad.

Use good pasta too as it will be part of the flavour, season your water etc. There is nothing worse than a bland tasteless rubbery pasta specially when you're not eating a lot of it. Or go for wholemeal pasta for extra flavour.

MidnightLamp · 14 Jun 2012 at 14:29

new found discovery from adding home made croutons (or just rubbing garlic on toast, chopping it up and putting into salad. NOM)

memyselfandi · 14 Jun 2012 at 15:35

Mine is ...

1x Red Onion
1x Red Pepper (roughly chopped)
1x Yellow Pepper (roughly chopped)
1/2 Jar of Olives stuffed with Jalapeños sliced
1/3 Jar hot Peppaesdews in vinegar chopped
4-5 Gerkins in sweet vinegar chopped
1x pack Waitrose cherry tomatoes

Dressing
1.5 teaspoons crushed chilli
1.5 teaspoons crushed garlic
Extra Virgin Olive oil & vinegar (from the peperdews and the gerkins) in a ratio of around 4 parts oil to one of vinegar.

Freshly ground black pepper added at serving.

Makes enough for at least 6 very large portions.

Doctor McNinja · 15 Jun 2012 at 02:38

If they're one of those veggies who eat fish then I highly recommend tuna and pesto. The incidents are-

White or red onions
Bell peppers, any colour you like but I prefer yellow in this case
Sweetcorn
A splash of White wine, this isn't essential but it does make it that little bit better.
Pasta
Green Pesto

Soften the onions until they become translucent then add the peppers. Cook for a few minutes and then add the pesto and sweetcorn. Cook for another few minutes and then add the pasta, cooked until it still has plenty of bite as it'll carry on cooking in the sauce. Add a tin of Tuna and stir it through gently. Don't forget to check the seasoning.

It's great hot, cold and if you top it with crushed ready salted crisps or, my personal favourite, plain tortilla chips and grated cheese, it makes a cracking pasta bake.

Stevenh1980 · 15 Jun 2012 at 10:17

An olive oil and balsamic venegar sauce goes really good on a pasta salad

GeX · 15 Jun 2012 at 10:39

My 3 'go to' pasta salads are based loosely around these (they vary depending on what's in the cupboard/fridge)

Pasta, finely diced red onion, black olives, sprinkle of chilli flakes, olive oil, finely diced peppers, diced tomato flesh (seeds, ick), salt, pepper, squirt of lemon juice, (drained)can of Tesco mixed bean salad.

Don't add the onion right away. Put it in a small bowl and soak it in some red wine vinegar whilst your are prepping the rest of it.

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Pasta, wild garlic green pesto, pine nuts.

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Pasta, roasted red pepper pesto, finely diced pepper, black olives.