Simple Pasta Salad and Dressing
Simple Pasta Salad and Dressing recipe idea. An easy cold salad side dish to put together for braai or meals with a vinaigrette dressing.
Simple Pasta Salad and Dressing
Gather some of these ingredient for this very easy and quick salad.
This simple pasta salad and dressing recipe idea can be put together with any type of pasta you choose. Use small shell pasta or twirly bow pasta. The ingredients are also very simple to add in and can use anything that you have left over from other meals. Delicious cold side dish to add to meals, or braai meat. Lunch or dinner for family meals. There are more Recipes that are stovetop cooking ideas to choose from. The dressing is what puts this all together. For more protein add some cooked chicken pieces or tuna or even sliced left of meat. For a vegetarian meal leave out the meats and add beans for protein.
FAQ’s
What are the five mistakes to avoid pasta salad?
- Use the right size or the correct pasta (not to big)
- overcooking or undercooking the pasta
- seasoning the pasta
- letting dressing soak into it when cooked
- Do not make the pasta salad to far in advance.
- depending on the ingredients added you could store in fridge
Do Italians rinse their pasta?
No the Italians do not rinse pasta after cooking. This is because the starch released will bind with the dressing or sauce added to the pasta for more flavor. If served as a warm meal, otherwise you rinse it lightly for a cold salad, but add the dressing in and toss for a cold salad.
Why does my pasta salad taste bland?
It is maybe because you are seasoning the pasta at the wrong times. For a flavorful pasta dish season all the way. Starting with when you boil the pasta adding salt to the water generously. When its cooked adding the dressing or sauces to it once you have drained the water. Not rinsing it.
How long does pasta salad last in the fridge?
Left over or pre made Pasta salads can last 3 – 5 days in the fridge, covered and sealed to prevent drying out of the salad. It will keep well depending on what ingredients are in the mix of salad. Watery tomato or cheeses will spoil the salad. Therefore add those after for a fresh salad. Other ingredients that will not spoil are ok to include in the salad.
Ingredients
- pasta bows or shells
- tomato
- peas
- chopped ham
- red onion
- cheeses, cheddar or feta
- bell peppers
- olives
- basil
- For the dressings ingredients see the recipe attached.
All the ingredients and amounts needed as well as the instructions are in the recipe attached.
Cherry tomatoes
Peas
Chopped ham
Finely chopped red onion
Small cubed cheddar cheese or other or even feta.
How To
Such an easy pasta salad recipe idea to put together with a delicious dressing. The dressing is put together with apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, sweet or sour relish and mustard. Sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
Once you have boiled the pasta and drained it. The dressing is rather simple and easy as well. Toss the dressing on the warm pasta so it can absorb it.
Then toss all the ingredients together and place in a bowl covered in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
This salad can be kept chilled and covered for about 4 days.
A great side dish to quickly toss up when unexpected visitors arrive and you need to put something together. Great for braai’s or cold meals and Christmas side dish.
Use up you left overs and add them to pasta for a good side dish.
Recommendations.
(click the highlighted heading for the recipe)
cold side dish
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Healthy Waldorf Salad Recipe
- Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Fresh Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
- Creamy Sour Cream Cucumber Salad
- Fresh Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
- A Filling Homemade Chicken Salad
- Best Greek Salad Recipe
- Corn and Black Bean Salad
- Simple Tomato and Onion Salad
- Crunchy Coleslaw Salad and Sauce
- Three Bean Salad and Dressing
- Mustard Curry Green Beans
- Creamy Potato Salad Recipe
- Tasty Curry Beetroot Chutney
- 19 Amazing Salad Recipes
Recipe ideas to create for A Braai or Barbecue for Fathers Day
Christmas cold side dish salads
- 21 Healthy Cold Christmas Salads Recipes
- 25 Quick Christmas Leftovers Ideas
- 34 Vegetarian Christmas Dishes Recipes
pasta recipe
- 22 Easy Pasta Recipes
- 18 Quick Salad Recipes
- 8 Tasty Macaroni Salad Recipes
- Tasty BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
Thanksgiving side dishes
Gorgeous Blank Recipe Book
Gorgeous Blank Recipe Book of 200 pages. An empty book to fill in instead of bits of paper everywhere. It has sections and index pages.
Simple Pasta Salad and Dressing
Simple Pasta Salad and Dressing recipe idea. An easy cold salad side dish to put together for braai or meals with a vinaigrette dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: side dish, salad
- Method: Stove top No Bake
Ingredients
- 500 g of Bowtie pasta (or any other )
- 1 Cup Cherry tomatoes sliced.
- 1 Cup of Feta or cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 Cup of chopped cubed ham
- 1/2 Cup of Peas (tin or freshly cooked)
- 1/2 Cup finely diced red onion (or white)
- 1/2 Cup of red and green diced bell peppers
- Some black or green olives.
- Parsley or basil chopped.
Dressing
- 1 Cup of mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup of sweet and sour sauce or relish
- 2 Tablespoons of sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of yellow mustard sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bowl the pasta in pot as per directions on packages.
- While that is getting prepared, chop and get all the other ingredients for the salad. Such as the Ham and Cheese or Feta, Peas and onions chopped finely. The yellow and green bell peppers chopped finely. Parsley or basil chopped for the top and some in the pasta.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix until all is smooth and combined.
- Toss the chopped ingredients with the drained pasta while warm. The pasta will absorb the mayo dressing mix.
- Place the bowl of mixed tossed pasta and ingredients with sauce in fridge for at least an hour and serve.
Notes
Any ingredients may be added. Use what you have available in the kitchen. Left overs are great for this salad.
Add some avocado or chicken or even tuna.
