# Pasta Salad Questions



## giggler

My personell pref for this dish is salad cold, very light dressing, and 90% veggeies, 10% meat and eggs, and 10% pasta..

1. Maybe I'm using too much pasta. I use the little cork screws, but every time they just overwelm the dish.. I'm to the point I'll just break up some spaghetti. 

2. The dressing. I've tried creamy, too heavy.
I've tried vinegrette or even bottled Itanian Wishbone dressing.. ok..

I think the best salad I made last year was leftover Russian Dressing Wishbone from Ruben night, not creamy and kinda sour..

3. I would like this as a salad I could make Sunday then Fridge and eat Monday night when I get home so it needs to be close to a Chef Salad with meat, eggs, maybe cheese for supper.  I think last year I used canned shrimp or that weird Krab which I like..

any Thoughts? 

Thanks, Eric Austin Tx.


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## CraigC

I've used the Caprese relish from this recipe for pasta salad. I usually use pearl mozzarella. You can use what ever pasta you wish and can add salami, capicola, etc.

Spiedini Hoagies with Caprese Relish Recipe : Bobby Flay : Food Network


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## medtran49

I got this recipe from a girlfriend.  Use Mueller's Pasta | Recipes | Classic Macaroni Salad as your base recipe and add a couple (or more to your taste) hard-boiled eggs and some shrimp.  She used the canned (2 cans) shrimp (the largest size you can get), drained well, but we usually buy decent-sized fresh ones, steam and chop up.  It always gets raves, even using the canned shrimp.  Alternatively, you could buy the little frozen already cooked shrimp, defrost and add.


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## Aunt Bea

If you want to downplay the pasta try using soup pasta, small shells, tubetti or maybe change it up with some tortellini stuffed with spinach or cheese.

In my kitchen I would skip the pasta and make an antipasto mixture similar to the ones you see in the deli case at your local grocery store and put a scoop of that mixture on a simple green or bag salad. 

The mixture could contain various kinds of olives, pickled peppers, pickled artichokes, marinated mushrooms, deli meat, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, etc... in a basic Italian dressing.  I would add the cheese at serving time because IMO it does not improve when it is allowed to marinate with the other items.

Who am I kidding, I would just buy a pound at the deli, it would be cheaper for me and much less effort! 

Good luck!


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## Aunt Bea

medtran49 said:


> I got this recipe from a girlfriend.  Use Mueller's Pasta | Recipes | Classic Macaroni Salad as your base recipe and add a couple (or more to your taste) hard-boiled eggs and some shrimp.  She used the canned (2 cans) shrimp (the largest size you can get), drained well, but we usually buy decent-sized fresh ones, steam and chop up.  It always gets raves, even using the canned shrimp.  Alternatively, you could buy the little frozen already cooked shrimp, defrost and add.



My mother used to make this shrimp salad with good sized shell on frozen shrimp.  Mom taught me to use the smallest seashell macaroni, so the shrimp would look larger.  She also cut the shrimp down the middle, like a bagel, so it looked like she used twice as much shrimp!


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## jabbur

I find the corkscrew pasta difficult to eat in a pasta salad.  I would use angle hair spaghetti broken up or tiny shells.  If you want the pasta to take a backseat to the veggies you might even try some orzo which is rice sized and would add the starch without overwhelming the veggies.


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## GotGarlic

Try orrechiette  (little ears) pasta. They're smaller than corkscrews and the little cup holds herbs and dressing well. I like an antipasto pasta salad. Use antipasto ingredients like salami, pepperoni, roasted red peppers, chopped artichoke hearts, shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, or bocconcini balls, olives and basil. I've been getting the Olive Garden salad dressing from the grocery store lately. It's a little bit creamy but nice and tart. Goes great on a green or pasta salad. Hope this helps.

Orrechiette:


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## outRIAAge

The lady with the orrechiette recipe has it right. Commercial Fusilli (the spiral-shaped ones) are almost always too thick and stodgy in the middle. 

"Pasta salad" has become a hellhole of floury, gummy dreadfulness. No need for that at all: cook the orrechiette until just dented, then TOAST them to light gold, and toss them with fresh local corn and whatever you like. Follow GotGarlic's recipe, add a poached egg, and you have a good meal.


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## CraigC

outRIAAge said:


> The lady with the orrechiette recipe has it right. Commercial Fusilli (the spiral-shaped ones) are almost always too thick and stodgy in the middle.
> 
> "Pasta salad" has become a hellhole of floury, gummy dreadfulness. No need for that at all: *cook the orrechiette until just dented,* then TOAST them to light gold, and toss them with fresh local corn and whatever you like. Follow GotGarlic's recipe, add a poached egg, and you have a good meal.



What is "dented"? do you mean "Al Dente"? You seem to bounce all over the place with your posts. Do you have a point to make?


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## outRIAAge

You understood what I meant by "dented", so why ask? As for bouncing around, guilty as charged: I'm a cooking fool, and like to learn and share.

Do I have a point to make? In this particular case I think I made it: Toast the cooked pasta before assembling the salad, to add extra flavour and ensure it doesn't end up gummy, is all.

Who died and made you king?


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## Addie

outRIAAge said:


> You understood what I meant by "dented", so why ask? As for bouncing around, guilty as charged: I'm a cooking fool, and like to learn and share.
> 
> Do I have a point to make? In this particular case I think I made it: Toast the cooked pasta before assembling the salad, to add extra flavour and ensure it doesn't end up gummy, is all.
> 
> *Who died and made you king*?



Please calm down. All the members here make a concerted effort to keep this forum a pleasant place to come to. If you do have a problem with a contributor, you can go to the Private Message place. And if that doesn't work, then you can send a private message to a Forum Moderator. Thank you.


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## outRIAAge

Thank you for the slap on the fingers and the private message advice. I was not aware of that option, or I would have taken it. The message I received was rather unpleasant, and I was responding to it. It would have been much better handled in a private conversation, on both sides.

I only got here a few days ago, a refugee from the disaster that was Chowhound, and I have lots to ask and lots to offer. I will sincerely try to never be that snippy in public again.


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## Addie

medtran49 said:


> I got this recipe from a girlfriend.  Use Mueller's Pasta | Recipes | Classic Macaroni Salad as your base recipe and add a couple (or more to your taste) hard-boiled eggs and some shrimp.  She used the canned (2 cans) shrimp (the largest size you can get), drained well, but we usually buy decent-sized fresh ones, steam and chop up.  It always gets raves, even using the canned shrimp.  Alternatively, you could buy the little frozen already cooked shrimp, defrost and add.



This is the salad I have been using for years minus the mustard. Only we are able to buy in these parts large elbows. This is *elbow macaroni salad,* so I don't understand the slight aversion to using it in Macaroni Salad. I do cut my onion and celery along with any other fresh veggie rather small. After all I want to pasta product to shine, not be second class to the other additions. I also will add pepperoni, or some other deli meat cut up small. 

As far as the shrimp go, if I want shrimp salad I make it as a sandwich spread. In that case it is the shrimp that is the main ingredient. Potato is the main ingredient in potato salad.


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## Souschef

Addie said:


> Potato is the main ingredient in potato salad.



Thank you for that information Addie!


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## GotGarlic

outRIAAge said:


> Thank you for the slap on the fingers and the private message advice. I was not aware of that option, or I would have taken it. The message I received was rather unpleasant, and I was responding to it. It would have been much better handled in a private conversation, on both sides.
> 
> I only got here a few days ago, a refugee from the disaster that was Chowhound, and I have lots to ask and lots to offer. I will sincerely try to never be that snippy in public again.



Pay no attention to Addie  She likes to pretend that she's a moderator, but she's not.


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## Kayelle

GotGarlic said:


> Pay no attention to Addie  She likes to pretend that she's a moderator, but she's not.



And can we hear Amen?? Addie a moderator? That's beyond absurd!
Anyone who has been here for any amount of time knows that.


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## outRIAAge

Oh gosh: there is obviously a community here that I'm not yet aware of. Me I'm just a cooking fool who likes to keep to the topic of food.Thank you all for your input.


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## CraigC

outRIAAge said:


> You understood what I meant by "dented", so why ask? As for bouncing around, guilty as charged: I'm a cooking fool, and like to learn and share.
> 
> Do I have a point to make? In this particular case I think I made it: Toast the cooked pasta before assembling the salad, to add extra flavour and ensure it doesn't end up gummy, is all.
> 
> Who died and made you king?



No, I had an idea of what you meant. We get quite a few people new to cooking here that wouldn't have a clue as to what you meant.


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## outRIAAge

[Please accept my apology for being sharp. I have since learned that I could have responded privately, which would have been more appropriate.]

I have since tried making the salad, toasting the pasta. I didn't have orecchiette, so I used trottole. It was really good, though orecchiette is a better shape to toast. Fresh-made pasta would normally be a soggy disaster in a salad, but I wondered what toasting would do to it. I had a roasted red pepper dough, so I saved the scraps from making wide noodles and randomly cut them up to make maltagliati (literally "random-shaped end-cuts" - doesn't "maltagliati" sound far more impressive?). When toasted, they show real promise, actually tasting and smelling of red pepper. I don't yet know how long they'll hold up in the salad.


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## Kayelle

outRIAAge said:


> [Please accept my apology for being sharp. I have since learned that I could have responded privately, which would have been more appropriate.]
> 
> I have since tried making the salad, toasting the pasta. I didn't have orecchiette, so I used trottole. It was really good, though orecchiette is a better shape to toast. Fresh-made pasta would normally be a soggy disaster in a salad, but I wondered what toasting would do to it. I had a roasted red pepper dough, so I saved the scraps from making wide noodles and randomly cut them up to make maltagliati (literally "random-shaped end-cuts" - doesn't "maltagliati" sound far more impressive?). When toasted, they show real promise, actually tasting and smelling of red pepper. I don't yet know how long they'll hold up in the salad.



OK, I'll bite. What exactly do you do to "toast" the pasta? Details please.


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## GotGarlic

How exactly do you toast cooked pasta? 

Wait, I think I just got it. You're toasting freshly made pasta. You may want to be more clear about that. You didn't mention it in your first post on this, so I was confused. Others probably were, too, since few of us regularly make homemade pasta.


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## outRIAAge

Cook it normally, drain, and then lay it out in a toaster oven and toast away until lightly coloured. I got the idea from the delicious "burnt ends" of a manicotti dish I made.


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## GotGarlic

Interesting idea. Thanks.


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## Rocklobster

Couple of things...coat noodles with a liberal amount of oil and let it sit for a while so it can absorb some of the oil. This will stop the pasta from absorbing any dressing and becoming sticky. Dilute any mayo based dressings with a splash of water, or vinegar. It may seem a little runny, but it will thicken up later if you put it in the fridge to chill. Then toss or stir before serving.


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## Kayelle

outRIAAge said:


> Cook it normally, drain, and then lay it out in a toaster oven and toast away until lightly coloured. I got the idea from the delicious "burnt ends" of a manicotti dish I made.





Rocklobster said:


> Couple of things...coat noodles with a liberal amount of oil and let it sit for a while so it can absorb some of the oil. This will stop the pasta from absorbing any dressing and becoming sticky. Dilute any mayo based dressings with a splash of water, or vinegar. It may seem a little runny, but it will thicken up later if you put it in the fridge to chill. Then toss or stir before serving.



Both of those ideas are interesting. I no longer make pasta salads but when I did, I was never happy with them the next day..yuck.
I wish I knew then what I know now.
Thanks for the great info guys! Discuss Cooking at it's best.


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## GotGarlic

Rocklobster said:


> Couple of things...coat noodles with a liberal amount of oil and let it sit for a while so it can absorb some of the oil. This will stop the pasta from absorbing any dressing and becoming sticky. Dilute any mayo based dressings with a splash of water, or vinegar. It may seem a little runny, but it will thicken up later if you put it in the fridge to chill. Then toss or stir before serving.



Lately, I've been sprinkling freshly cooked pasta with a bit of the vinegar I'm using in the recipe, like I do with potato salad. It flavors the pasta but doesn’t make it sticky.


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## CWS4322

Rocklobster said:


> Couple of things...coat noodles with a liberal amount of oil and let it sit for a while so it can absorb some of the oil. This will stop the pasta from absorbing any dressing and becoming sticky. Dilute any mayo based dressings with a splash of water, or vinegar. It may seem a little runny, but it will thicken up later if you put it in the fridge to chill. Then toss or stir before serving.



The coating with oil is the key. I used to make 120 (8 oz) servings of pasta twice a week. We used all kinds of pasta. We cooked the pasta the day before, added oil, covered the pasta and let it chill in the walk-in overnight. I use buttermilk to thin mayo-based dressings. I have toasted pasta before cooking it. I add dried herbs to the water.


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## GotGarlic

CWS4322 said:


> The coating with oil is the key.



I've done that, but I prefer using vinegar instead. I like for the pasta itself to be well-flavored and I find that the sauce slides off the noodles if they're coated with oil first.


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## erehweslefox

I too find pasta a little bit gummy, particularly in a cold salad, so in the spirit, if not letter of the thread, I'm going to post my zuccini barley salad, which is generally a hit at picnics. 

1 cup barley
2 cups vege stock
2-4 zuccini
2 cans 15 oz garbanzo
16 oz cherry tomatoes
16 oz feta
1 bundle fresh mint
salt
pepper

Boil the barley in the stock until soft and cooked.

While barley is cooking, matchstick the zukes, i.e. cut them up into matchstick looking pieces, salt well, and let sit. 

Add the chick peas and a bit of black pepper to the barley, heat to warm, add half the dressing (see below) to barley chick pea mix.

halve the tomatoes, and combine with mint and zukes (I like to press out much of the water from the zukes by wrapping them up in cheesecloth and pressing). Add to the barley mix, add rest of dressing, and chill. Serve chilled.

For dressing:

1 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp mustard (I like it mustardy so I use coghlin's British mustard powdered, but you can get by with a Dijon, or heck French's)
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
a touch of cloves, to taste

mix well

Cheers!

TBS


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## Cheryl J

Usually I'm cooking for one so for me, pasta salad has evolved into a kind of 'use up what's in the veggie bin' one meal salad.  I'm not crazy about it the next day either, so I usually just grab a palmful of orzo and start chopping whatever veggies need to be used up. Sometimes bits of ham or shrimp get added.  I use a blend of a little mayo, rice vinegar, and Penzeys Greek seasoning or Fox Point and call it a meal. I like using orzo and chopping the veggies rather small, that way I can get a little of everything in one bite. 

It's rarely the same twice unless I make it specifically for a family dinner or BBQ, then I obviously put more care into the ingredients.  We especially like antipasto salads and for that I use a larger sized pasta instead of orzo.


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## Addie

Cheryl J said:


> Usually I'm cooking for one so for me, pasta salad has evolved into a kind of 'use up what's in the veggie bin' one meal salad.  I'm not crazy about it the next day either, so I usually just grab a palmful of orzo and start chopping whatever veggies need to be used up. Sometimes bits of ham or shrimp get added.  I use a blend of a little mayo, rice vinegar, and Penzeys Greek seasoning or Fox Point and call it a meal. I like using orzo and chopping the veggies rather small, that way I can get a little of everything in one bite.
> 
> It's rarely the same twice unless I make it specifically for a family dinner or BBQ, then I obviously put more care into the ingredients.  We especially like antipasto salads and for that I use a larger sized pasta instead of orzo.



Although I do have straight white vinegar on hand, I use it mostly for cleaning. Rice or apple cider are my two go vinegars.


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## erehweslefox

Cheryl J said:


> I like using orzo



I have a orzo Parmesan recipe I loved, but I never got up to using orzo as an everyday pasta. And there is a reason, and a story behind it. 

So a couple of years ago, my favorite internet source of grains went out of business, and had a going out of business sale. I used them as a source for unhulled barley, which I enjoy and have many recipes for that. Rather different than pearl barley. 

Wanting to support them, looking at the prices, and not realizing it was a clearance sale, I purchased a ten gallon bucket of hulled barley, and a ten gallon bucket of oat groats. I thought I was buying a different metric. So I have a ton of barley and oats, and does that inform my reciepies? heck yes

So I like using barley like pasta, which doesn't work for long pasta, but works quite well for orzo.


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## outRIAAge

Addie said:


> Although I do have straight white vinegar on hand, I use it mostly for cleaning. Rice or apple cider are my two go vinegars.



I love Heinz White Vinegar. To the best of my knowledge, it was the very first of Heinz' 57000 varieties (with the equally-excellent cider vinegar appearing next). But note that there are two grades: The one sold in glass is the pristine product with very clean, neutral flavour, while the much cheaper one with similar name but sold in plastic is commodity white vinegar. (Don't get me wrong: I also love Marukan and Mitsukan unseasoned rice vinegars.)


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## GotGarlic

outRIAAge said:


> I love Heinz White Vinegar. To the best of my knowledge, it was the very first of Heinz' 57000 varieties (with the equally-excellent cider vinegar appearing next). But note that there are two grades: The one sold in glass is the pristine product with very clean, neutral flavour, while the much cheaper one with similar name but sold in plastic is commodity white vinegar. (Don't get me wrong: I also love Marukan and Mitsukan unseasoned rice vinegars.)



Are you saying there is a white vinegar other than distilled white vinegar? Or are you referring to horticultural vinegar with a higher percentage of acetic acid?

I don't understand what you mean by "pristine" and "commodity."


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## outRIAAge

GotGarlic said:


> Are you saying there is a white vinegar other than distilled white vinegar? Or are you referring to horticultural vinegar with a higher percentage of acetic acid?
> 
> I don't understand what you mean by "pristine" and "commodity."



Not at all, just that Heinz sells two distinct grades with different purposes, and doesn't do a very good job of distinguishing them, except by price. I believe they are both 5% vinegars. Taste both and the difference in quality is apparent. I think I learned that from the magnificent Barbara Tropp (RIP). In fact I'll go post her gorgeous recipe for pickled ginger now.


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## GotGarlic

outRIAAge said:


> Not at all, just that Heinz sells two distinct grades with different purposes, and doesn't do a very good job of distinguishing them, except by price. I believe they are both 5% vinegars. Taste both and the difference in quality is apparent. I think I learned that from the magnificent Barbara Tropp (RIP). In fact I'll go post her gorgeous recipe for pickled ginger now.



According to their website, the cleaning vinegar is 20% stronger than the cooking vinegar. I'd imagine the cleaning vinegar is sold in the cleaning area (I've never looked for it; didn't occur to me there would be another one). Horticultural vinegar is actually 20% acetic acid. I think it's only available to professionals (landscapers, contractors, etc.).


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