Pasta Salad recipes

[tiredmama2020]

On Saturday we’ll be having around 6 people visiting over lunchtime. Some going out later that evening for a big meal so not wanting a big lunch but others doing a 4/5 hour drive home afterwards so will want something more substantial. Thinking of just putting together a selection of picnic type bits and people can help themselves to as much or as little as they like?
Would you find that acceptable if you were at someone’s house over lunch?

I was thinking:

• large bowl of salad
• pasta salad
• sausage rolls
• maybe a quiche
• nibbles like crisps, breadsticks, dips etc

Any tried and tested pasta salad recipes? 😊 anything else you’d add if you were hosting?

I have a basic, but quite filling tuna pasta salad that we all quite like around here. I't s bit fluid but usually some kind of screw pasta, but macaroni or even penne work. Add tinned tuna, chopped mixed colour peppers, chopped spring onions (regular onion also work but have a stronger flavour, although they're toned down by the dressing).

Make a "dressing" of mayo, milk, splash of olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and a few mixed herbs. My dad likes to slice some boiled egg on top but it doesn't work for me that way. Add dressing about 30 minutes before you eat.

Take tomatoes out of fridge and off vine keep some leaves to the side in the am

Cut the tomatoes up when room temp and season leave in the bowl

Warm olive oil with garlic in a heavy bottom pan and add anchovies
Don't let sizzle

Boil pasta and a few eggs

Olive oil capers parsley some amazing balsamic gordal olives and the best tuna in on top of the tomatoes who's juice should all have come out

Chop eggs up with hard yolk

Throw in the cooked pasta cover and season properly.

Add chives and mint if you like

Serve ambient but store in fridge

It's a delight for people who don't like mayo

Cook pasta in chicken stock for extra yum

I wouldn't do two pastry dishes personally. I'd keep the quiche and maybe do lots of cocktail sausages perhaps like this.

Pasta salad is a great idea as it allows those who are travelling to fill up! I like tuna, sweetcorn, chopped sweet peppers ans spring onion, mixed with mayo.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot Cocktail sausages look great! I might go with that instead actually 😊

Would have been helpful in my OP if I’d said that most of the guests don’t eat seafood so all the tuna recipes are out 🙈 I was thinking of something with a homemade pesto type dressing - too boring? 🤔

The BBC Good Food website has a selection of great pasta salad recipes.

This looks goodsmittenkitchen.com/2014/06/pasta-and-fried-zucchini-salad/.

You could use chicken instead of tuna then - make it more of a meal in itself.
Homemade pesto sounds lovely. That's the beauty of pasta salad, you can adjust it to work with whatever else you are serving.

Punctuation went to pot there, but the link works! It's an Ottolenghi recipe and looks nice and not unduly expensive, difficult or complicated. Haven't made or eaten it, but it's gone on my list to try. Does not involve fish or seafood or meat or eggs (does have mozzarella).

This curried pasta salad always goes down a storm here. I’m not a fan of sultanas so sub them for chopped apple.
I agree that two pastry items is heavy. Maybe leave the pastry off the quiche and make a fritata instead.

This is the best pasta salad - I have made it three times already this summer for friends and everyone has raved about it:

anewsletter.alisoneroman.com/p/pasta-salad-video

Here's the description, if that sways you:

The capers and lemon give it the bright brilliant tanginess that pasta salad craves, but what truly makes this one special is the mix of textures: jammy, caramelized pieces of zucchini, frizzled bits of scallion, little nuggets of parmesan, crunchy toasted walnuts, and perfectly cooked, just-past-al-dente pasta.

I came here to recommend that Ottolenghi one above (via smitten kitchen) - I absolutely love it, and would definitely recommend!

I've always made a tuna pasta salad but I recently made a 'BLT' pasta salad from a magazine and it's my new favourite. Pasta with finely diced tomato, lettuce and crispy bacon bits with mayo, a little bit of wholegrain mustard and a squeeze of lemon. It has a lovely freshness to it.

@cultkid that recipe sounds amazing - where did you get it from?

@feedingfrenzy

I'm sorry but I'm just a free hand cook 🤣🤣🤣

I only use a recipe for cakes!

I love cooking if you want another suggestion let me know

Yum. I haven't made a pasta salad for donkey's years, but these sound fab!

Forgot to mention put some chopped tomato leaves in they are amazing

Perhaps do a bowl of cooked new potatoes too, not made into potato salad, just dressed with a little olive oil and chopped herbs.

Our favorite pasta salad is a super simple one:

• short pasta (orecchiette, fusilli,...)
• mozzarella, diced
• olives
• ripe tomatoes, chopped up
• olive oil
• tuna in olive oil
• fresh basil