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?

To each their own. I love pesto, you can hate it. More for me That’s the beauty of it all, we have different tastebuds and it would be boring if we all liked the same thing.

@TheChosenTwo Last I checked, orzo is a type of pasta I was little confused about cold pasta salad being made with cheap pasta and at the same time you like orzo pasta salad, which is fine but just confusing. I like all types of pasta and love a bit of pasta salad, hot or cold. I usually go for the tricolor pasta. I don’t care if it’s shop-bought or homemade pasta, and even if I buy a more “expensive” variety, I wouldn’t mind it if someone offered cheap pasta. I’m just not a huge fan of Mayo. I prefer a more dairy-free coleslaw myself, there’s just something about the smell of yoghurt that I always found off-putting. But that’s just me.

I do hope you bring your own dish that you’d actually eat. Providing the host is aware that you’re doing so of course. Or hopefully there’s something there that you could eat. I wouldn’t expect to be offered food unless it’s a sit-down meal/get-together. Usually, in the summer, it’s more of a help yourself kind of thing which puts less pressure on the hosts. A drinks table, a place for everyone to put their dishes if they so wish and maybe even a BBQ by the host. I’d hate to have to go a summer party or host one where I am constantly going around serving people.

I use yougurt and olive oil to make pasta salad. No sweetcorn in it either!

I think to avoid that, it helps to have a list of what everyone is bringing. The guests can then complete it under different categories like drinks, appetisers & sauces/chutneys, salads/side dishes, mains, mini desserts etc. Or the hosts can provide the drinks and mains etc. That way everyone can see the list and this avoids a lot of replication. Or, if the person knows each guest’s specialty, they could ask them to bring something more specific that way you don’t end up 75 pasta salads. That does sound like a lot! For instance, if I know someone makes great grilled chops, or some kind of sauce or salad, or cupcakes or macarons etc I’d ask them to do that. You can also set up tables for each category so people know where to put things. It can actually be quite organized if it’s done well. I’ve organised a lot of potlucks, not for weddings, but for other occasions and it just needs some planning and it can be smooth sailing.

Yip the sweet stuff.

Half a cup of condensed milk mixed with one cup mayo.

Probably originated from an American recipe though.

But op, you clearly haven’t had my pasta salad darking! It’s just so so middle class and delicious. I got given the recipe when I was in Umbria (Tuscany is so over now don’t you think?) and the secret is really good olive oil. We get ours at a little farmers market in Marlow: don’t tell anyone else about it though darling we don’t want it turning into Slough! Anyway, I have no idea what these mayonnaise based salads are. They sound dreadful. I mean I don’t think Waitrose sell them so I’ve ever seen one. Is it what people with no second home eat?

oh I do love a bit if MN food snobbery. I am now half expecting someone to come along and tell you you should only eat pasta once every 4 years and have you thought about replacing it with kale?

ironically, after all that, I too hate cold pasta however it’s served. Even with virgin olive oil and fresh herbs from my own garden and even if it’s pasta du jour, orzo.

@BitOutOfPractice nails it 😂

Mayonnaise and sweetcorn. It just sounds so... poor. I believe you can even buy tinned corn! Lord above.

I do recall one of my colleagues being horrified that after her divorce, with a few of their joint homes being sold to fund it (she was still left with 2 homes) she was going to have to eat dried pasta. DRIED PASTA. She was almost in tears telling me. I was a trainee solicitor on £14k at the time and from a social background that meant I didn't actually know fresh pasta existed.

Haha yes I do like an orzo salad and I know that’s pasta! That’s why I prefaced my post with the admission that this was my exception 😂
it’s the fusilli style cold tomato pasta salads made with the flabby wobbly cold pasta that I object to!!
and help yourself to my pesto quota, fill your boots 🤣

I'm with you on this and I wish supermarkets would stop filling out their salads with pasta. Only this week I grabbed what I thought was a prawn cocktail salad from an M&S garage - no pasta visible from the outside, but sure enough the middle was filled with cold pasta which was the last thing I wanted with the marie rose sauce!

Did it mention pasta in the packaging or ingredients etc.? If not, that’s quite cheeky to fill a salad with pasta assuming because it might be cheaper than adding all the other veg and whatnot.

I like orzo so I’m with you on that. These are boots are made for walking 🚶‍♀️But I do prefer a more sundried tomato pesto. I usually use sundried tomatoes, basil, cheeses, cashew nuts and pine nuts and I can’t remember what else.

Nope…you slag off the cool whip (because it is disgusting) all you want but don’t you dare disparage my tater tot casserole (or hot dish depending on your location…that’s a fight for a different thread).

I will fight to the death to defend tater tot warm gooieness of comfort on a night when that is -25F (-31C).

However in a gesture of goodwill for your obvious faux pas regarding the food of the comfort gods. I hearby offer up this website (happy rabbit hole dwelling). Please notice the gallery of regrettable food. (The entire website is funny). https://www.lileks.com/institute/index.html

It's just a cheap bland way to fill people up

Doesn’t have to be bland - depends what you put in it 🤷‍♀️

Inexpensive - yes. Which is good!

Yes but all the stuff I'd be putting on it I'd prefer to have without the pasta. The point is you're having add so much to make it take half decent because the pasta itself is just cheap bland filler.

Plenty of people like pasta 👍

No, couscous is not pasta.

I’m in Italy and cold pasta salads are only tolerated if the pasta is small, like couscous, large or small Sardinian fregola or “orzo” (rice shaped pasta). Anything larger would bring on a gag reflex.
Then lots of fresh veg, pickles like capers and sweet onions (Borettane) or chargrilled peppers. No mayonnaise mixed in but possibly on the side (like for rice salad).
Because I’m a foreigner I can make cold pasta, potatoes, green beans and pesto, but only for the family!

Why is couscous not pasta?

Couscous is a type of pasta made from semolina, just like Sicilian pasta.

Bulgar wheat is not pasta, it is whole grain, but far from fashionable.

I made my own mayonnaise the other day, took 2 minutes. I don’t think I’ll ever buy it again. The only difference between mayo and olive oil dressing is some egg yoke.

Ah, but couscous isn't a grain. It isn't bulghur wheat, which is something different. I've just checked and couscous is made from durum wheat semolina. In fact, now I think about it, I've seen it being made on either a Michael Palin or Michael Portillo programme.

Pasta is made from durum wheat semolina, look at the packet in your cupboard.
Semolina is made from wheat, couscous is made from a grain, it is not a whole grain.
Couscous is a pasta, just a teeny tweeny one.

I’m not a fan of pasta salad either
I usually make either coleslaw or a warm potato salad (with cheese)
then salsa and some crudités

I think maybe you've misunderstood me @Itisyourturntowashthebath - I was asking @Florissante why she thought couscous was not pasta. I the misread your response to me and thought you were Florissante and that she said it was bulghur wheat. I was trying to politely disabuse her of a misconception. What a cock up! I'm very sleep deprived 😁