Pasta salad is a great make-ahead dish, especially on hot days! A box of pasta is pretty cheap (usually about $1.00/box), and if you have a university meal plan, you can get lots of toppings for the salad from your campus dining locations. Even if you don’t have a meal plan, there are lots of cheap ways to buy these add-ins – take a look at our past posts for some tips on keeping your shopping inexpensive. Read on for some of our favorite variations and recommendations for this yummy summer dish!
Changing up the kind of pasta you use is a great way to keep your pasta salads interesting! We are partial to the classic tri-color rotini, but we’ve experimented with various other kinds of pasta to keep flavors and textures fun. Another way to add variety to your pasta salad is using different toppings – there are so many ways to vary what you add in to keep things original. In the summer, we try to use seasonal veggies such as cucumbers and tomatoes. Local markets or farm stands are a great place to check for fresh, in-season veggies! If you eat meat, pepperoni and/or cheese are great protein sources to add to your salad. If you are looking for a vegan variation, try using cannellini or garbanzo beans for protein! Another good way to spice up a pasta salad is to use fresh herbs (such as oregano or thyme) to add a fun bite.
Dressing is the icing on the cake! Of course, the classic Italian dressing is always yummy for pasta salad, but we love experimenting with different dressings! We love goddess dressing, Greek dressing, or something tahini-based to mix it up (pun totally intended!). And who says pasta salad has to be served cold? We live in a chilly region (especially in the winter), and hot pasta salad is totally underrated! We love mixing in asparagus and spinach and serving it with pesto, or adding roasted vegetables with olive oil and a yummy seasoning blend!
Recipe: Basic Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- Pasta of choice (we recommend tri-colored rotini, but you can use whatever you prefer or have on hand)
- Add-ins of choice:
- Fresh veggies: cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots
- Protein: pepperoni, salami, cheese, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans
- Other: green olives, black olives
- Dressing of choice (we recommend Italian or Greek dressing)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. While the water is boiling/the pasta is cooking, prep your add-ins: wash and chop your veggies, drain the beans, cut up the cheese, snack on some olives. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse it before transferring it to a large bowl. Add the toppings and dressing. Let chill in the fridge until time to serve, and enjoy!
❤ Juliana and Sarah
Mix It Up 