Red Pasta in Red sauce, White Pasta in White sauce, Green Pasta in Pesto sauce…
But what about Pasta without any sauce?
Yes, Pasta salad, which is so amazing, without any baggage of calories which the sauce can bring.
Colorful, Beautiful to look at, Presentable, Healthy, Delicious, Quick to make, Easy, Ideal for Summers.
Pasta Salad is a no-fuss salad.
Just boil Pasta, add veggies of your choice, some Vinaigrette and that’s it.
Vinaigrette lends mild tanginess to the otherwise bland pasta.
Pasta Salad is loaded with veggies.
It is one salad where you have more veggies than the main ingredient, that is, Pasta and still, everybody loves it.
In a way, this is like a vegetable salad to which some Pasta has been added.
In fact, It is a very good way to feed veggies to your children.
You can also pack this in your little one’s lunch box.
It can be made exotic by adding veggies like bell peppers, Zucchini, Broccoli, Jalapenos, Olives etc. Add anything and everything to Boiled Pasta.
Let’s see how to make this beautiful salad…
I have added Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Zucchini, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Baby Corns, Carrots.
You can add all these or any of these or any other like Olives, Jalapenos, Capsicum, Corns etc.
Also, I have cut long strips of the veggies to make them compatible with my Penne shaped Pasta.
Pasta comes in innumerable shapes – tubular, fan shape, spiral, noodle, seashell, strip and so on. Some of the popular names are Penne, Spaghetti, Conchiglie and Orecchiette, Fusilli, Lasagna, etc. The compatibility of each is different with different kinds of food and it is with some level of experience of preparing pasta dishes, that you can choose the right shape or type for your pasta dish. Till then fall back on a recipe.
A pasta dish normally requires some kind of sauce to be added. These could be cream based or tomato based or vinaigrette.
With Salads, a spiral or fan or tubular shapes work well. The veggies can be chopped accordingl
Cook Pasta in a large pot of boiling water, to which salt has been added. Cook until tender. Drain in a colander and let it cool.
While the pasta is boiling, chop all the veggies into medium size bites.
In a large bowl, put Pasta, all the chopped veggies, and Vinaigrette.
Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Cover with cling film and chill in the refrigerator.
At the time of serving sprinkle slivered almonds (optional).
Serve with a smile, soup optional.
VARIATIONS
Use Macaroni in place of Pasta.
Notes
Tastes best when made at least 30 minutes before serving, as flavours of herbs are absorbed properly.
Adjust the quantity of veggies as per your preference.
Store bought Mixed Herbs gives very good flavour. In the absence of Mixed Herbs, you can use Oregano and Dried Parsley.
VINAIGRETTE4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil2 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar1 tsp Oregano/ Parsley/ Mixed HerbsJust put all the three ingredients in a small bottle.Shake shake shake…And your Vinaigrette is ready to go into your Pasta salad.Make sure to shake the bottle again before adding it to the salad.This is because, when left for some time, oil and vinegar separate out again.Alternatively, you can whisk oil, vinegar along with herbs in a bowl, in case the bottle is not available.
Keyword international, italian, pasta recipe, salad