Four Quick and Easy Recipes for Cold Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is one of my go-to’s when I am in a hurry to cook for a crowd. This is a family favorite and super easy to throw together for dinner, a large group, or a side dish at a party. It can come together in under 15-20 minutes, depending on how fast your water comes to a boil – everything else you pretty much just throw in and then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve – no need to figure out logistics of keeping it warm or reheating. Since it’s served cold. you can make the pasta ahead of time and pull it out of the fridge later for a super fast weeknight dinner. It is also a very versatile dish, making it convenient to throw together with whatever you have available to work with. It’s just a one pot meal, so no multi-bowl/pot/pan cleanup, and provides a variety of vegetables, protein, and carbs. And a little secret – although it’s supposed to be cold, it tastes just as good hot if you don’t have time to wait.
I wrote the proportions for one pound of pasta in these recipes, but I double it when making dinner for our family of eight. If I were making it for a party, multiply the recipe by 5 or 6 – the of pasta plus all the toppings would fill two large aluminum trays.
tRADITIONAL iTALIAN pASTA sALAD
1 lb tri-colored rotini noodles
1 lb shredded rotisserie chicken (if you prepared chicken breast in your instant pot you can use that instead)
2 cups spinach
1 diced onion
2 cups grape tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
1 jar or can of artichoke hearts
1 jar black olives
16oz fresh mozzarella cheese (or you can cut up string cheese into little circles with scissors)
pepperoni – as much as you want 🙂
DRESSING:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano)
1 tbs sugar
salt and pepper
(you can also use store bought balsamic dressing instead of making your own)
I love how fast this comes together, especially the vegetables being pretty much ready to go ingredients. Boil water and while you are waiting, chop up the spinach and onion. Shred the chicken by hand (or with a fork but hands are faster). Cook your pasta al dente and strain, and then put it into your bowl or pot with the chicken, onions, and spinach. Pour in tomatoes, artichokes, olives, cheese, and pepperoni. Stir. You can add the dressing ingredients directly, or you can prepare the dressing in a measuring cup to make sure it is fully blended and then pour over the pasta. Chill in the fridge for a couple hours or until ready to serve.
bACON rANCH pASTA sALAD
1 lb elbow noodles
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled, or 1 cup of prepared bacon
1 onion, diced
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 avocado, diced
1 cup ranch dressing
(you can also add chicken or tuna to this)
This pasta salad is always a hit, and has everyone coming back for seconds. It’s also super quick and easy to throw together if you are doing a last minute dish if you use the precooked bacon crumbles. (I buy mine from Sam’s Club.) Cook the noodles al dente and strain, then add the bacon, diced onion, tomatoes, and ranch. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours or until ready to serve. Add the avocado right before serving so it doesn’t turn brown.
Creamy Pasta Salad
1 lb bowtie or elbow noodles
1 lb shredded chicken breast (or two cans of tuna)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 onion, diced
6 plum tomatoes, diced
DRESSING:
1 cup mayonnaise
garlic powder and onion powder
Lawry’s seasoned salt or Tony Chacheras’ creole seasoning
This pasta salad is great for summer bbq’s and picnics. It goes well as a side dish with burgers and hot dogs, or it can be served as a main course with watermelon, garlic knots, and chocolate chip cookies. Cook the pasta al dente and strain. Add the chicken, spinach, onion, and tomatoes. Stir in the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly with the garlic powder, onion powder, and seasoned salt. Chill several hours or until ready to serve.
Buffalo chicken pasta salad
1 lb rigatoni noodles
1 cup shredded chicken breast
1 diced onion
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 tbs buffalo hot sauce
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
salt and pepper to taste
This version of pasta salad is a mix of creamy and spicy, perfect for buffalo chicken lovers! Cook the pasta al dente and strain. Add the chicken breast and diced onion. Mix the seasonings with the ranch and hot sauce and stir into the pasta salad. Let it cook in the fridge until you are ready to serve. I recommend adding the feta cheese right before serving.
