# Olive oil pasta salad dressings needed



## Alx26

I need to spice up my pasta.

What usually goes into it is 150g wholewhet pasta, 300g chicken breast, 2 tomatoes.

I want an olive oil dressing, to help me eat it all up without any trouble, every day, cold. 

Would really appreciate if people posted their favourite "simple" recipes.

thanks in advance


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## kadesma

Alx26 said:


> I need to spice up my pasta.
> 
> What usually goes into it is 150g wholewhet pasta, 300g chicken breast, 2 tomatoes.
> 
> I want an olive oil dressing, to help me eat it all up without any trouble, every day, cold.
> 
> Would really appreciate if people posted their favourite "simple" recipes.
> 
> thanks in advance


Take a look at this salad I posted..While its for greens and bread, I would use it on pasta and know it would be wonderful...just leave out the crutons and pancetta..
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f11/tnt-greens-bacon-bread-salad-42050.html

If you share what you have on hand such as vinegars, spices, herbs and such maybe we can come up with some simple vingrettes for you..
kadesma


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## VeraBlue

Blend a bit of dijon and honey in a bowl, whisk in some vinegar (if you have a pear or fig vinegar, that is great...)  S&P.  Then, slowly drizzle in enough olive oil to emulsify.  Keep whisking while you do this.  Taste again for seasoning.


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## bethzaring

this is my absolute favorite cold pasta salad dressing recipe. I buzz it in a blender or food processor, but by hand would work just fine too. This is for a large pasta salad and extra dressing stores well in the refrigerator

3T. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh basil *OR* 1 T. dried basil
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 T. grated parmesan (or more)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
drizzel in:
2/3 cup olive oil


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## *amy*

You can make a variety of different pesto sauces, i.e. basil, mint, parsley, sun-dried tomato, artichoke - depending on your taste - that would pair nicely w the ingredients you mentioned. Here's one version:

2 garlic cloves
3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 c fesh basil leaves
1/2 c flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 - 1 1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In food processor combine garlic, nuts, basil, parsley, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until ground to a fine paste, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in oil until desired consistency. Season with s&p.


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## LadyCook61

bethzaring said:


> this is my absolute favorite cold pasta salad dressing recipe. I buzz it in a blender or food processor, but by hand would work just fine too. This is for a large pasta salad and extra dressing stores well in the refrigerator
> 
> 3T. red wine vinegar
> 1/4 cup minced fresh basil *OR* 1 T. dried basil
> 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
> 2 T. grated parmesan (or more)
> 1 t. salt
> 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
> drizzel in:
> 2/3 cup olive oil


 sounds good ! I will have to try it next I make pasta salad.


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## LadyCook61

*amy* said:


> You can make a variety of different pesto sauces, i.e. basil, mint, parsley, sun-dried tomato, artichoke - depending on your taste - that would pair nicely w the ingredients you mentioned. Here's one version:
> 
> 2 garlic cloves
> 3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts
> 1 1/2 c fesh basil leaves
> 1/2 c flat-leaf parsley leaves
> 1/4 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
> 1 tsp. lemon zest
> 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
> 1 - 1 1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
> Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
> 
> In food processor combine garlic, nuts, basil, parsley, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until ground to a fine paste, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in oil until desired consistency. Season with s&p.


Sounds good, thanks for sharing.


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## LadyCook61

VeraBlue said:


> Blend a bit of dijon and honey in a bowl, whisk in some vinegar (if you have a pear or fig vinegar, that is great...) S&P. Then, slowly drizzle in enough olive oil to emulsify. Keep whisking while you do this. Taste again for seasoning.


 
Pear vinegar is good isn't it? I bought some today , not sur if it is what you know of, but this one is called Pear infused white  balsamic vinegar.


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## Alx26

thanks a lot for all the recipes guys, I'll definetly try them out 

you've just made my lunchtimes so much more enjoyable..

Just a few simple quetions though

What do T, and tbs stand for?

table spoons?


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## JillBurgh

Capital T is Tablespoon and so is tbl
Lowercase t is teaspoon and so is tsp

My olive oil pasta salad secret:
Drain the noodles into a colander that is filled with thinly sliced (sweet or red) onions. The hot water "steams" the onion flavor into the noodles, and also takes the bite off of the onion. You can stir the softened onions right into your pasta salad with the other ingredients.

Also, I often don't use vinegar in oil based pasta salads. Just some garlic and fresh herbs, salt & pepper, then add something with some flavor interest like olives or artichokes to lift the flavors (which are sometimes packed in vinegar anyway).


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## *amy*

LadyCook61 said:


> Sounds good, thanks for sharing.


 
Welcome, LC. The lemon zest & juice gives it a little extra something/adds to the taste of the pesto. Hope you give it a try.


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## auntdot

We make what we call an antipasto pasta salad that includes both the pasta and everything you can find in an antipasto.  And we add a vinagrette with spices.

Now you don't have to do it all.  In fact you probably don't want to.

But to make it a bit sexier than the stuff you have been eating you can, for example, vary the pasta.  I love the spiral type things, but penne and almost any pasta works well. And varying the pasta will give the dish a slightly different dimension.

Add whatever meats you can or wish to, salami (soft and hard), prosciutto, and capicolla are great.  But just regular ham, or diced kielbasa, or one of those summer sausages people send to each other like from Hickory Farms will be great.  Or heck, try sliced hot dogs. Or omit meat.

Again, the same with cheeses. It is your pasta salad and if you like jack cheese in it, great.  And it will be tasty.

Anchovies, if you like them, toss one or two in, they can be cut up.

I prefer a vinagrette and you can vary the vinegar.  But just olive oil works fine.  And add whatever spices you like.  Prefer oregano, thyme and basil but others work. Maybe one day basil and another oregano.  Or mix.  And the dried will work.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the olives and artichoke hearts. And if the god of garlic will forgive me I will put it last. In my job garlic is something I have to use very gingerly.

And taking it one step further, you can forego the pasta and put the salad on a crusty bread with a bit of the fluffy bread taken out to make room for the tasty bits, ala a muffaletta (I always have trouble spelling that) sandwich.

I guess my point is that the Italian antipasto plate is a palette of flavors and you can pick and choose as you wish for your lunches.  In that way every day will be not only a challange, but interesting and tasty.

Just my take on things. God bless.


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