Cold pasta salads are easy. Take your pasta shape of choice and cook it following the instructions. Place in a bowl still warm and add olive oil, your favorite dried herbs if using them, and salt to taste. Toss to coat. Chill.
Just before serving add vegetables to the pasta and your cold meat:
- Cut up tomatoes, and shredded lettuce and/or carrot – cooked ham, grilled chicken, canned tuna.
- Roasted red pepper strips, roasted eggplant and onion slices – mozzarella cheese, Parma ham.
- Avocado, shredded lettuce – cooked peeled shrimp.
Sprinkle fresh chopped herbs if using them, and serve.
There are other cold pasta salad recipes scattered among All Foods Natural articles. See the frog eyed salad or the worms pasta salad featuring in You Can Take it with You. Granted those were planned for a packed lunch, but there is no reason you cannot prepare them for a family lunch.
There are a couscous, chicken and vegetables pasta salad and a mozzarella and tomato pasta salad in Sweet and Savory Recipes for a Picnic. Picnic at home, in your kitchen or dining room table or just serve as part of a meal. These are great for a party buffet.
Talking about parties and preparing abundance of salad, you’ll find some guidelines at Community BBQ and its pasta salad tiede.
Last but not least, get to Summer Salad Favorites and scroll down to find the pasta salad recipe there. This one has healthy broccoli in the list of ingredients.
Enjoy!