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Easy Cold Pasta Salad Recipes

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The Best Easy Cold Pasta Salad Recipes

Making cold pasta salad recipes is something that you can be creative with, because there are lots of easy pasta salad recipes to choose from. First of all, what is your favorite type of pasta?

Many home cooks often use macaroni but you can also try penne, pasta spirals, pasta shells, or another variety. Unless your salad dressing is very thick, do not use flattish pasta shapes like bow-ties because the dressing slides off smooth kinds of pasta more easily.

Choosing Your Additions

You can add all kinds of things to your cold pasta salad recipes. Perhaps you fancy using meat. Leftover steak, ham or chicken work well, or you could try seafood. Use freshly boiled shrimp or mussels, or stir in a can of drained tuna or salmon.

You can mix and match what you use. Diced cooked vegetables also work well and actually cold pasta salad recipes are a great way to use up those leftover veggies in the refrigerator.

Making a Tasty Dressing

The dressing can be store-bought or homemade but, if you are taking the trouble to make your own easy pasta salad recipes, you should also make the dressing.

Stir some curry powder into sour cream or mayonnaise for a delicious curry dressing (if you are going to use this, try adding chopped dried apricots to the pasta salad, or a drained can of pineapple chunks) or combine oil, vinegar and fresh herbs for a gourmet dressing.

There is nothing difficult about making the best easy cold pasta salad recipes and you will discover that all kinds of ingredients work well in this style of salad.

Contents at a Glance

Nutritional Information
Sign Up for the Recipe Publishing Networ...
Cold Pasta Salad Recipes You Can Make wi...
What Makes Cold Pasta Salad So Special
Great Stuff on Amazon for Salads
Simple Salad Recipes

Nutritional Information

Calories: 415

Calories From Fat: 54

Total Fat: 26g.

Sodium: 179mg.

Total Carbohydrates: 40g.

Protein: 9g.

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Cold Pasta Salad Recipes You Can Make with Macaroni

Serves: 4

This recipe shows you how to combine cold cooked macaroni with egg, green onions, roasted bell peppers and a flavorful, creamy homemade salad dressing, for amazing results. Although there are lots of different cold pasta salad recipes that you could choose from, this one is especially tasty. The dressing is made with mayonnaise, parsley, and paprika, so the flavors are kept simple but good. You can adapt these ingredients if you like. Cilantro or basil could replace the parsley or you could even add a few drops of Tabasco sauce to liven it up. The vegetables offer a satisfying crunch which contrasts well with the soft pasta and egg. You can use less mayonnaise if you do not want so much dressing.

Tasty Macaroni Salad with Bell Pepper and Egg

Ingredients

¼ cup chopped green onions
Salt and black pepper
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ chopped roasted green bell pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
½ chopped roasted red bell pepper
2 cups dry macaroni
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg

Instructions

Cook the macaroni in salted water as directed on the package. Remove it from the heat when it is al dente, and rinse it with cool water.

Boil the egg for 12 minutes, and then let it cool. Peel and slice it with an egg slicer or a sharp knife.

Sprinkle the lemon juice over the chopped onions. That will take the edge of their flavor.

Stir the parsley, paprika and bell peppers into the mayonnaise. Toss the cooked pasta with the onions, egg and mayonnaise mixture.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Printable Version

“There Are Lots Of Different Cold Pasta Salad Recipes That You Could Choose From”

What Makes Cold Pasta Salad So Special

Cold pasta salad recipes are often seen at lunchtime, at dinnertime and they can also feature as a side dish at backyard barbecues or buffets. You might find easy pasta salad recipes at a potluck dinner or a similar event. There are so many different ways to make cold pasta salad recipes and you can even make 3 or 4 ingredient ones.

What to Add

Once you have cooked and drained your pasta, you can toss it with your favorite dressing and some other additions. Creamy dressings often work well with easy pasta salad recipes and these might be made with yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise or a combination of these, as well as some kind of flavoring like curry, herbs, spices, fruit or tomato paste. Use your imagination when flavoring your cold pasta salad.

As well as meat or fish and vegetables, cold pasta salad recipes might contain olives, cheese, egg, capers, chopped fruit, nuts, or other ingredients. The versatility of cold pasta salad recipes helps to make them so wonderfully unique. Even if you are new to cooking, you will find that easy pasta salad recipes are something that a beginner cook can make without any help.

Make Ahead Pasta Salads

Many cold pasta salad recipes can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, until you are ready to serve them. This makes them great as a side dish or party dish, because you can make them in advance and then forget about them, allowing you to concentrate on finishing off the entrees.

Great Stuff on Amazon for Salads

Simple Salad Recipes

Greek Pasta Salad Video Recipe

Greek Pasta Salad: by ChristysKitchen | video info

29 ratings | 10,706 views

curated content from YouTube

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