To Dread Summer Pasta Salads?

[EggInANest]

IMO pasta 'salad' is revolting.

Pasta was surely not made to be eaten cold? It is stodgy, claggy, and invariably mixed up with mayo and sweetcorn to make it even more claggy and gunky and horrid.

I keep seeing it recommended for buffets and BBQs. Alongside Coleslaw and Potato salad, both of which are also creamy beige, mayo drenched and one very carby. Fine if you like these salads (I do like good coleslaw and good potato salad) but not all three together, surely? We need contrast and variety!

Does summer have to come with a side of pasta salad?

A good orzo salad with salmon, cucumber and dill makes a great lunch, but a claggy mess of mayo and sweetcorn not so much!

Thoughts and prayers @Anycrispsleft . You are stunning and brave.

I love a pasta salad. But I’ve never had one with mayonnaise- sounds claggy.

Of course you can 😊

It's not an unavoidable part of summer, no need to fear them. Just don't make any and avert your gaze in that section of the supermarket.

I do get the dislike of those gloopy mayonnaise-laden 'salads', they invariably look like they've already been in someone's stomach.

Yabu

Pasta pesto mozzarella and tomatoes is just delicious cold. Maybe you are doing it wrong

But not as nice as a proper mozzarella, basil, tomato salad. Pasta is just bulking in salads. I HATE pasta salad.

My BBQ salads offering is usually Greek salad and potato salad (with just potatoes, olive oil, vinegar and chives).

Gloopy mayo “salads” are a bit unappetising.

I'm trying to imagine what kind of person makes a pasta salad with mayo and sweetcorn. My conclusion is someone like Vera Duckworth....

I agree about the mayonnaise on everything but love a cold pesto pasta.

The same people who make tuna pasta bake in winter. It’s just a seasonal twist on an abomination.

I don’t really like it with mayonnaise as I don’t really like mayonnaise (except for dunking chips in, don’t ask me why that’s different)

But pasta salad can be really nice imo

Hahah this is so accurate

This reminds me of when my best friend was moving back to England from Germany after her divorce. My DH and DS went over with a lorry to bring back all her stuff.
My DH could not beleive the amount of Tupperware my friend owned, he said she must have cornered the market of German Tupperware!
In her defence she said her social life outdoors over there was totally different to England, picnics, days out, swim parties etc.

I went to a wedding once where everyone had to bring a dish. I made 100 macarons. Apparently everyone else made a pasta salad because there were about 75 of them. Hellish!

I detest mayo and sweetcorn. I make my pasta salad with roasted veg, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and a stronger cheese, sometimes feta, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and olive oil.

I match your disgusting pasta salad and raise you ambrosia salad. O. M. G. I was faced with one at a buffet once. It was rank.

Personally I think pasta salad works best as an accent with other salad items - leaves, cucumber, tomatoes etc. and, if yours has mayonnaise on it, you probably don’t need other salad dressing as well. That makes the whole meal a bit lighter.

Overcooked pasta with mayonnaise and sweetcorn is horrible, yes.

But cooked properly and ideally fresh pasta with even the simplest ingredients like a good olive oil/pesto/really flavoursome rocket and vine tomatoes is delicious. And with a good dusting of hard cheese of course.

Pasta salad with mayo and sweetcorn is just awful! And when it’s been outside for a bit you could probably add some bacteria to the mix. To be fair I hate mayonnaise - I have no idea why people just add it to everything especially sandwiches.

I do like a decent salad with grains, roasted vegetables, olive oil, herbs etc.

YANBU

Cold pasta is revolting and therefore all pasta salads are revolting.

YANBU to dislike the disgusting combination of ingredients you have described.

YABU to tar a whole category of lovely salads. Pasta salad with loads of ripe tomatoes, judicious amounts of fresh herbs and great olive oil and perhaps a few other choice ingredients is food of the gods. Particularly eaten by the sea with a glass of wine.

No, see you remove the pasta, add olives, feta cheese, maybe cucumbers and sweet green peppers, then add more olive oil on top.
After you’ve finished the salad you mop up the juices with a paximadia.

What is ambrosia salad???

Pasta salad is an abomination, I never understood why they sell in it supermarkets all the time. I am gluten free and struggle to find a decent salad because it’s often poisoned with this nonsense.