Aug 05 2009
Fool-Proof Italian Pasta Salad
When people think of BBQ, they usually only think about the meat. But, there are always those side dishes that always gets neglected, and I’m here to give some attention to the one dish that I’ve always loved to make for BBQs and gatherings – pasta salad! The reason why I enjoy making this is because it’s easy, refreshing, and healthy! Daniel handles the manly part of the BBQ by grilling the meat, and I handle most of the side dishes. If you’ve been invited to a BBQ or any kind of summer party, I encourage you to put the effort out to make something to bring to the party. Don’t be lame and bring soda (that may be the last invite you get!). This post will show you how to make pasta salad, so you won’t have any excuses. Trust me, it’s really easy, that’s why I call it the Fool-Proof Italian Pasta Salad.
The ingredients you put into the pasta salad all depends on you! I chose to put what I had in the garden and fridge: fresh basil, yellow cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, and hard salami. Other popular ingredients that you can put in pasta salad are: bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, or broccoli. And for those who need meat, you can add chicken, spam, sausage, or bacon. Everything should be cut up into bite-sized pieces or smaller.
Typically, I prefer to use the multi-colored pasta to give it more color, but I didn't have any, so I used the fusilli (corkscrews) wheat pasta. If you are looking to make your pasta extra healthy, I suggest going with the wheat pasta because it has a lot more fiber. The hardest part for beginners is probably cooking the pasta. You want to make sure you don't under or overcook your pasta - it should be al dente. Drain the pasta and combine all of the chopped up ingredients.
To reiterate how easy this was, I only had 2 pictures to show you. Yup, that’s all there is to it. Be creative with your ingredients – but also use some common sense. If you’re going to make an Asian Pasta Salad, you wouldn’t be putting in salami, but instead would choose typical stir-fry ingredients like snow peas and chicken. Now, the fun part is deciding on the dressing! If you are pressed for time, you can resort to the store-bought bottled dressings, like Italian or Caesar. For the more experienced, you can make your own dressing. Please click on the link below to see the full recipe. Good luck!
To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Italian Pasta Salad
This salad looks so yummy and a wonderful idea for a hot summer meal. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I’ve been looking for a pasta salad recipe. Thank you!
Yummm…I love pasta salad!
Hey Karen, let us know how it goes if you end up making the pasta salad! We hope it’s a winner!
it really looks great to see that salad and very ideal to serve on a lunch at the veranda facing the beach..
mmmmmmmmmm..
it surely tastes good..
Pasta is evil, lol, no to my doctor when I have my BP taken it is…me likie this pasta!
What a delicious pasta salad! I love the addition of salami!
Great idea for a BBQ side and I love the fact that it’s only two pictures long as in very easy!
I love pasta salad! I love the added basil and sun dried tomatoes…yum!