# Suggestions for a Pasta Salad



## mkaylady (Nov 5, 2010)

I bought a bag of Broccoli Slaw and was thinking about making it in a Pasta Salad for a potluck since I have two boxes of penne pasta. I am open to suggestions on: 1) whether this would be a good idea 2) what other ingredients to add that would make it more tasty 3) what dressing would work best for these ingredients.

I was thinking of adding raisins or dried cranberries and maybe some julienned apples (not sure on that yet). How does that sound and what type of dressing would work best with that and should I add any celery or other veggies?

Thanks!


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## 4meandthem (Nov 5, 2010)

I think that is good match of ingredients.
A sweetened/thinned mayo dressing would nice.
Maybe thinned with rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
I would also add some grated carrot for color/flavor.
A chopped nut or some seed would be good too.


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## mollyanne (Nov 5, 2010)

Yes, I'm on board with what 4me has suggested plus some fresh crisp bacon pieces. That may sound gross but I've had it and it's a nice salty touch.


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## 4meandthem (Nov 5, 2010)

Likin the new look Mollyanne! 

Bacon for the win also!


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## Poppi G. Koullias (Nov 6, 2010)

add a handful of watercress for a nice peppery hint


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## mkaylady (Nov 6, 2010)

4meandthem said:


> I think that is good match of ingredients.
> A sweetened/thinned mayo dressing would nice.
> Maybe thinned with rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
> *I would also add some grated carrot for color/flavor.
> A chopped nut or some seed would be good too.*



The Broccoli Slaw that I bought at Trader Joe has the carrots in it already. Now that you mention it I have a bag of chopped walnuts left over from making banana bread this week. Thanks.


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## mkaylady (Nov 6, 2010)

mollyanne said:


> Yes, I'm on board with what 4me has suggested plus some fresh crisp bacon pieces. That may sound gross but I've had it and it's a nice salty touch.



I'll give some thought to the bacon too.


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## DaveSoMD (Nov 6, 2010)

Here's a hint I picked up years ago, I don't remember from where.  Make your dressing, put it in the bottom of a LARGE bowl, then put the salad stuff on top and toss to coat/dress the salad. It works much better than putting the dressing on and trying to get it all mixed in.


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## msmofet (Nov 6, 2010)

I picked up Apple oil a few weeks ago at the market. It's pretty good and combined with apple cider vinegar it makes a great dressing. I think that would go good with the apples in the salad. Mushrooms may add a nice woodsy, earthy flavor.


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## taxlady (Nov 6, 2010)

I would substitute yoghurt for some of the mayo in the dressing. I find it adds a really nice flavour.


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## mkaylady (Nov 6, 2010)

taxlady said:


> I would substitute yoghurt for some of the mayo in the dressing. I find it adds a really nice flavour.



That is a good idea. When I make cole slaw I do that.


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## mkaylady (Nov 6, 2010)

DaveSoMD said:


> Here's a hint I picked up years ago, I don't remember from where.  Make your dressing, put it in the bottom of a LARGE bowl, then put the salad stuff on top and toss to coat/dress the salad. It works much better than putting the dressing on and trying to get it all mixed in.



Yeah, I was thinking about that because I was wondering how I would prevent the pasta from sticking together after it is cooked. I was thinking of maybe making the penne the day before but, in that case, how will I keep it from sticking together? I was thinking I might add some olive oil and stir it in to coat the pasta.


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## taxlady (Nov 6, 2010)

mkaylady said:


> Yeah, I was thinking about that because I was wondering how I would prevent the pasta from sticking together after it is cooked. I was thinking of maybe making the penne the day befPore but, in that case, how will I keep it from sticking together? I was thinking I might add some olive oil and stir it in to coat the pasta.



Putting the dressing on the pasta would probably be the best way to keep it from sticking. If you put olive oil, the dressing won't stick to the pasta. As one Italian TV chef put it: you will have non-stick pasta


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## mkaylady (Nov 6, 2010)

taxlady said:


> Putting the dressing on the pasta would probably be the best way to keep it from sticking. If you put olive oil, the dressing won't stick to the pasta. As one Italian TV chef put it: you will have non-stick pasta



I am glad you told me that. So, then it is OK to put the dressing on the pasta that is still hot from being cooked? Maybe I should just use a small portion of the dressing to put on it to keep it from sticking and then chill it before adding the rest of the ingredients and dressing?


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## taxlady (Nov 6, 2010)

mkaylady said:


> I am glad you told me that. So, then it is OK to put the dressing on the pasta that is still hot from being cooked? Maybe I should just use a small portion of the dressing to put on it to keep it from sticking and then chill it before adding the rest of the ingredients and dressing?



That sounds like a good idea to me. I'm not sure what would happen to mayonnaise with hot pasta. I don't think it would go off, just separate or something.


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## mkaylady (Nov 6, 2010)

taxlady said:


> That sounds like a good idea to me. I'm not sure what would happen to mayonnaise with hot pasta. I don't think it would go off, just separate or something.



Maybe if I run the pasta under cold running water until it cools off enough it will be OK.


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## taxlady (Nov 6, 2010)

mkaylady said:


> Maybe if I run the pasta under cold running water until it cools off enough it will be OK.



Then you will rinse off the starch that helps the sauce stick to the pasta. That same Italian TV chef said that Italian grannies save the pasta water, in case they need to add some to make the sauce stick.


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## ShellyCooks (Nov 6, 2010)

I like thinly sliced sweet red pepper,too.  I don't use mayo -- instead, I use a packet of Good Seasonings Italian Salad Dressing. I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil and lemon juice as well as rice wine vinegar -- everything to taste.   I also like to add olives,  tiny grape tomatoes, lots of red onion, carrots, celery, fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil, and grated Parmesan cheese.  To make it more hearty,  add chunks of cooked chicken, turkey, ham, etc.


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## taxlady (Nov 6, 2010)

Good Seasonings Italian Salad Dressing, is that the one where you get one of their cruets
and pour in the mix, add vinegar to the line, add oil to the line and shake?


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## Bolas De Fraile (Nov 7, 2010)

My fav pasta salad.

Cooked Conchiglie, mandolin-ed red onion,mandolin-ed chili to taste, tinned tuna steak,pitted black olive bits, mixed and dressed with olive oil and 15 yrs old balsamic. Served with home made beetroot and potato crisps/chips and a ciabatta roll.


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## msmofet (Nov 7, 2010)

taxlady said:


> Good Seasonings Italian Salad Dressing, is that the one where you get one of their cruets
> and pour in the mix, add vinegar to the line, add oil to the line and shake?


 Yup!! You add oil, vinegar and water along with the packet and shake.


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## taxlady (Nov 7, 2010)

msmofet said:


> Yup!! You add oil, vinegar and water along with the packet and shake.



I remember them from when I was a kid - when there were still dinosaurs


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## ShellyCooks (Nov 7, 2010)

taxlady said:


> Then you will rinse off the starch that helps the sauce stick to the pasta. That same Italian TV chef said that Italian grannies save the pasta water, in case they need to add some to make the sauce stick.


Yes, Taxlady, Good Seasonings does come in an envelope,  but you don't have to buy the cruet with it.   If you don't want to use the packet, you may make your own dressing.  I often do that.  Also when using an oil/vinegar dressing, you should not rinse the pasta -- the pasta won't absorb the dressing as well.  Put the dressing (oil/vinegar) on the hot pasta then refrigerate the pasta.  While the pasta cools, prepare the other ingredients, like the carrots, red peppers, etc.  Add the other ingredients after the pasta has cooled.  You may have to add extra dressing or oil depending on how much of the dressing the pasta absorbs.   The salad is always better the next day.


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## taxlady (Nov 7, 2010)

ShellyCooks said:


> Yes, Taxlady, Good Seasonings does come in an envelope,  but you don't have to buy the cruet with it.   If you don't want to use the packet, you may make your own dressing.  I often do that.
> 
> ...



I was just curious. I always make salad dressings from scratch.*

*Okay, not completely from scratch. I use store bought mayo in some and prepared Dijon in others. And of course, I didn't create the universe


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## mkaylady (Nov 7, 2010)

taxlady said:


> Then you will rinse off the starch that helps the sauce stick to the pasta. That same Italian TV chef said that Italian grannies save the pasta water, in case they need to add some to make the sauce stick.



So you think the dressing would not stick if I rinse the pasta too much? I know about saving the pasta water but I only do that when I am cooking something like pasta and broccoli rabe or something like that. When I make pasta with marinara sauce I don't add any pasta water. Actually I don't rinse it or I rinse it slightly. However, for pasta salad it would be the dressing I would be putting on not sauce. 

I have made pasta salad before but with that I have used olive oil, herbs, broccoli and black olives (in that case you are coating it with the olive oil so no problem). It came out delicious but it takes some time - you have to soak the bouquet garni in the olive oil overnight to infuse the flavor into it. I would make that but I don't have fresh herbs on hand. So, since I had the broccoli slaw on hand I was trying to think of recipes that would go with that which I agree would be the mayonnaise/yogurt dressing. So, using a mayonnaise/yogurt dressing is another story that I am not familiar with which is why I sound so confused.


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## taxlady (Nov 7, 2010)

mkaylady said:


> So you think the dressing would not stick if I rinse the pasta too much? I know about saving the pasta water but I only do that when I am cooking something like pasta and broccoli rabe or something like that. When I make pasta with marinara sauce I don't add any pasta water. Actually I don't rinse it or I rinse it slightly. However, for pasta salad it would be the dressing I would be putting on not sauce.
> 
> I have made pasta salad before but with that I have used olive oil, herbs, broccoli and black olives (in that case you are coating it with the olive oil so no problem). It came out delicious but it takes some time - you have to soak the bouquet garni in the olive oil overnight to infuse the flavor into it. I would make that but I don't have fresh herbs on hand. So, since I had the broccoli slaw on hand I was trying to think of recipes that would go with that which I agree would be the mayonnaise/yogurt dressing. So, using a mayonnaise/yogurt dressing is another story that I am not familiar with which is why I sound so confused.



If it were me, I would not rinse the pasta at all. I would add some of the yoghurt to it and toss and add the rest of the dressing later.


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## mkaylady (Nov 7, 2010)

taxlady said:


> If it were me, I would not rinse the pasta at all. I would add some of the yoghurt to it and toss and add the rest of the dressing later.



Thanks, that sounds like a plan.


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## taxlady (Nov 7, 2010)

mkaylady said:


> Thanks, that sounds like a plan.



Let us know how it works out.


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## mkaylady (Nov 7, 2010)

taxlady said:


> Let us know how it works out.



I will. I will be making it tomorrow since it is for Tuesday. One thing no one mentioned was spices or seasonings to put in. I was thinking of some celery seed, sea salt and ground pepper. Is there any other seasoning or should I leave it at that. Sometimes when it comes to dressing I like to keep it simple.


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## mkaylady (Nov 10, 2010)

Well the pasta salad came out good but I really made too much so I have leftover and I don't eat pasta. My BF is eating the leftovers, LOL. 

If I were to make it again, I would make only one lb of pasta and I would mix all the ingredients besides the pasta together and put them into the pasta (which was already coated with dressing) at the same time so as not to stir too much which breaks some of the pasta. In this case I was adding things as I went along based on the taste and what I thought it needed. What I ended up putting in was:

2 lbs penne pasta (cooked)
1 (1 lb) bag of broccoli slaw (carrots were mixed in but not enough)
5 shredded carrots
2 large apples shredded
1 C of seedless green grapes - cut in half (approx.)
1 lb thick cut bacon cooked and broken into bits
6 oz chopped walnuts (approx.)

Dressing:

Mayo mixed with equal part of Non Fat Plain Yogurt, a half C of apple cider vinegar, a couple T of honey, celery seed, sea salt and pepper.


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## Kayelle (Nov 10, 2010)

Glad it turned out so well for you.  I've found that when I make any kind of pasta salad ahead of time, by the next day the dressing has disappeared totally into the pasta.  I was going to suggest using twice the dressing you think you'll need, or not adding the dressing until the day you use it. 
At any rate all's well that ends well.


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## mkaylady (Nov 10, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> Glad it turned out so well for you.  I've found that when I make any kind of pasta salad ahead of time, by the next day the dressing has disappeared totally into the pasta.  I was going to suggest using twice the dressing you think you'll need, or not adding the dressing until the day you use it.
> At any rate all's well that ends well.



Actually, now that you mention it, that is the other thing I would do differently next time because the dressing did dissipate but it still tasted good. I really could not have mixed the dressing in just before because there was so much pasta it would have been impossible to mix it in there. I thought of making some more dressing but mixing it in would have been too difficult. Using twice the dressing might have worked but may also have soaked into the pasta, who knows. Like I said, next time I will only make a lb of pasta so that it will be easier to add in more dressing, etc. Two lbs was more than I needed anyway.


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## simonaskitchen (Nov 30, 2010)

I like to add anchovies with broccoli, but I dont' know if it'sa only my personal taste!


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## mkaylady (Dec 1, 2010)

simonaskitchen said:


> I like to add anchovies with broccoli, but I dont' know if it'sa only my personal taste!



That sounds great! I love pasta with broccoli and anchovies!

P.S. I love your blog!


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## Zereh (Dec 1, 2010)

msmofet said:


> I picked up Apple oil a few weeks ago at the market.



I've never seen Apple oil! I'm intrigued and adding it to my ever growing list of things to keep my eyes open for! Does it have a distinct apple flavor? sweet-ish or tart or?


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## carmen.cane (Mar 2, 2011)

I would love to find a a tasty recipe for a green pasta salad with a little bit of sour taste to it. It is pretty difficult to explain it as I can only imagine it, but I'm not sure of what it should have or how it should be prepared. Any ideas?


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## NoraC (Mar 2, 2011)

What an interesting thread. Pasta salads are often pretty dreary and the ideas here sound really good. One thing I have discovered over the years is that tossing the hot, unrinsed pasta in a mix of the oil and the acid I intend to use as dressing, "non sticks" it, but allows me to fully dress it when it is cool and not likely to "cook" the fresh herbs or un-emulse a mayonnaise dressing.

cc's request for a "green pasta salad with a  little bit of sour taste to it" reminded me of a dish i made a lot for a while: spinach pasta, with a lemon tarragon sauce.  It sort of snuck up on a Bearnaise, without ever being so heavy. I served it hot, usually with a seafood, but once wonderfully with duck.  Is that the sort of taste you are thinking about, cc?


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## carmen.cane (Mar 3, 2011)

NoraC said:


> What an interesting thread. Pasta salads are often pretty dreary and the ideas here sound really good. One thing I have discovered over the years is that tossing the hot, unrinsed pasta in a mix of the oil and the acid I intend to use as dressing, "non sticks" it, but allows me to fully dress it when it is cool and not likely to "cook" the fresh herbs or un-emulse a mayonnaise dressing.
> 
> cc's request for a "green pasta salad with a  little bit of sour taste to it" reminded me of a dish i made a lot for a while: spinach pasta, with a lemon tarragon sauce.  It sort of snuck up on a Bearnaise, without ever being so heavy. I served it hot, usually with a seafood, but once wonderfully with duck.  Is that the sort of taste you are thinking about, cc?



Yes, this is pretty much what I had imagined and I'm sure I would love to serve it with seafood. I'm a seafood passionate :P


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## Claire (Mar 3, 2011)

I've had Good Seasons cruets all my life, and always got them for free with a few packets of the seasoning.  Every few years they have them that way and usually I pass them by because I already have one (bought the cruet package when I first moved here 10 years ago).  I use this often.  I use the seasoning packet as the basic seasoning for my hot artichoke dip as well.  I have no problem with shortcuts like that, usually adding my own twist.


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## mkaylady (Mar 4, 2011)

Claire said:


> I've had Good Seasons cruets all my life, and always got them for free with a few packets of the seasoning.  Every few years they have them that way and usually I pass them by because I already have one (bought the cruet package when I first moved here 10 years ago).  I use this often.  I use the seasoning packet as the basic seasoning for my hot artichoke dip as well.  I have no problem with shortcuts like that, usually adding my own twist.



Do they still have those cruets in the supermarket. I used to have a few of them and went looking for one the other day and could not find it. I guess I threw them away. I don't really want the package dressing but would use the cruet to make my own dressing in.


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## Kayelle (Mar 5, 2011)

mkaylady said:


> Do they still have those cruets in the supermarket. I used to have a few of them and went looking for one the other day and could not find it. I guess I threw them away. I don't really want the package dressing but would use the cruet to make my own dressing in.



I haven't seen one in years either.  Good grief, I went looking around and EBAY has them for big bucks. 
GS must not be giving them away anymore.

good seasons cruet items - Get great deals on Pottery Glass, Home Garden items on eBay.com!


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## mkaylady (Mar 7, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> I haven't seen one in years either.  Good grief, I went looking around and EBAY has them for big bucks.
> GS must not be giving them away anymore.
> 
> good seasons cruet items - Get great deals on Pottery Glass, Home Garden items on eBay.com!



Who would have thought that I should have held onto those items?!  The things I hold onto don't go up in value but the junk I throw away does.


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## medtran49 (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm almost embarrassed to write this but I have a girlfriend that makes the macaroni salad recipe off the red/white/blue elbow macaroni box and adds a couple of cans or 4 or more (depending on whether it's a side dish or supposed to be a meal salad) of rinsed, drained canned shrimp, the larger size, not the tiny, tiny ones. She usually tries to make it the day before so it sits overnight in the fridge and melds. It's surprisingly good with the addition of the canned shrimp and always gets rave reviews when she takes it somewhere.

Karen


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