Pasta Salads..... (1,398 views)

What a coincidence! I copied this earlier this morning
www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/greek-chicken-bowls/

I tend to migrate toward the ubiquitous pasta salad with rotini pasta, pepperoni, mozzarella or provolone, cherry tomatoes, broccoli and black olives with a red wine based vinaigrette. I think it's summer comfort food for me, simple to make and good for a couple of meals.

If I have leftover cooked salmon on hand, I like this recipe:

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Salmon Pasta Salad
Serves: 4

Salad
1 3/4 cup cooked salmon (or 1-15oz can, or about 7 oz of the vacuum sealed variety)
1 16 oz box shells, cooked according to package directions and chilled
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup sliced black olives (I use kalmata)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup diced red or green pepper
Fresh grated Parmesan for serving

Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 vegetable oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed dried oregano
1 tsp salt (or to taste - I use less)
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Assemble the Salad ingredients through the red/green pepper.

Combine the Dressing ingredients and toss with Salad ingredients. Can cover and chill or serve immediately. Serve with the fresh grated parmesan.
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That being said, I think that Two Peas/Pod Greek Salad is going to become my lunch in a couple of weeks (already did the grocery shopping for next week). And I have a fair amount of Orzo in the cupboard which would be perfect for the roasted veggie salad Karen posted. I adore Buddha bowls! Thanks emma! And I concur with applecrisp - sometimes I just need an excuse to make something for the feta.

Thanks for starting this thread! Lots of tasty ideas to look forward to!

This has always been one of my favorites, and a little unusual.  I read a recipe the other night (at Serious Eats, maybe?) about a pasta "salad" that was really just pasta tossed with cooked crisp pancetta/chorizo and then served room temp.  It sounded quite good.


POTSTICKER SALAD



¼ cup sesame oil

¼ cup black soy sauce

2 Tbl sugar

2 Tbl hot chili oil (less if you want a milder salad)

2 Tbl black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 pound meat-filled fresh ravioli or potstickers

2 cups broccoli flowerets

½ carrot, peeled and julienned

1 stalk celery, julienned

½ red bell pepper, julienned

¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (sliced almonds would be a nice substitute)

¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

additional sesame seeds and pine nuts



In a large bowl, mix together sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, chili oil, and vinegar. Cook ravioli until very tender (if using frozen potstickers or dumplings, steam them—they get too mushy if you boil them). Drain well; toss with dressing. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, blanch broccoli flowerets for a couple minutes in boiling water, then drain well and plunge into ice water. When ravioli has cooled, toss with carrot, celery, bell pepper, sesame seeds, and pine nuts. (I do this the night before and let the whole thing chill overnight) Place in serving bowl. Thoroughly drain broccoli. Arrange flowerets down the middle of the salad. Scatter green onions and additional sesame seed and pine nuts over the top. Serve at room temperature. Serve on bed of assorted lettuces.

www.eater.com/2016/3/12/11180628/hawaiian-plate-lunch-explainer

I hesitated for a long time (years) before trying the macaroni salad because it didn't look "spectacular" enough. What a snob! Now I often crave its creaminess. Do a Google search, but this is the recipe I use for the 'plate lunch' salad.

Hawaiian Plate Lunch Macaroni Salad ~

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon onion, grated
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise, more to make it creamier
salt, to taste

Cook the macaroni until almost overcooked. Drain, cool completely. Combine with celery, carrots, onion and eggs. Stir in the mayonnaise and salt. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving, (overnight is better).

A Hawaiian Plate Lunch consists of Pork or Chicken Tonkatsu (cutlets + Tonkatsu Sauce), 2 scoops of rice, and 1 scoop of Macaroni salad.

 Dug out this CL golden oldie Lemon Orzo Salad (March 2000😳) last weekend for our very small outside birthday gathering for our nephew and myself.  I used an English cucumber instead of the zucchini.  Still a fave with everyone.

www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemony-orzo-salad