Pasta Salad Recipe - Are You Tired of Rice and Potatoes?

Every cook seeks to add some variety to the side dish menu. So often potatoes and rice are the traditional sides appearing on the dinner plate. Why not serve up some delicious tasty pasta salad? This recipe is very easy, and you can alter it to incorporate ingredients you have on hand.

This dish is best served warm, but don't toss the leftovers. They are also good cold, or you can do a quick warm in the microwave. Don't warm too long, though, because you don't want to "cook" the mayonnaise. You can mix up different pastas, using some colored rotini for some flair.
I often mix together traditional "white" enriched pasta along with some whole grain or spinach varieties. My family will eat spinach and whole wheat pasta if it is not the only pasta in the dish, so just toss some of those along with the regular pasta, adjusting the ratios as desired.
This recipe is very flexible, allowing you to utilize leftovers and food you have on hand. Summer garden vegetables work great in this recipe. If you don't have the exact ingredients listed, feel free to substitute items you do have, using your culinary creativity.
Eight ounces of pasta makes about 4-6 side dish servings. You can increase or decrease quantities as needed.
Ingredients:
* 8 ounces of pasta (mix different pastas together such as elbow macaroni, piccolini, and colorful rotini)
* Red and/or yellow bell pepper
* Green onions
* Celery
* Black Olives
* Bacon (4-5 slices per 8 ounces pasta)
* Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning
* Mayonnaise
* Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
1. Cook bacon and set aside to drain.
2. Dice all of the vegetables into small dice. Total of all vegetables is 1 cup per 8 ounces of pasta, no need to get too exact here.
3. Assemble the vegetables on a plate, sprinkle with Italian Seasoning (be generous), salt and pepper, and set aside. If you want to spice things up a little, add some crushed red pepper flakes.
4. This pasta dish is best served warm, so finish other dinner preparations.
5. About 15 minutes before dinner, cook pasta according to directions.
6. Drain pasta, DO NOT RINSE.
7. Add vegetables and crumbled bacon to pasta.
8. Add mayonnaise to pasta and stir, use about 1/2 cup per 8 ounces of pasta, or according to taste.
9. Stir gently with rubber spatula.
10. Add grated Parmesan Cheese to top and pepper again (fresh ground black pepper is best).
11. Serve immediately (again, best served WARM).
Be creative and add other ingredients you have on hand. You can add leftover meat, green olives, or small cheddar cheese squares. If you are a gardener, this is a great way to utilize your vegetable bounty. Hot peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, snow or English peas, and eggplant are delicious in this salad.

Click here to get Easy Printable pasta salad recipes and many more delicious recipe ideas at The Rancher's Daughter

Healthy Pasta Salad Recipes That Are Easy

You can use any kind of cooked pasta to make a pasta salad recipe - whole wheat pasta, pasta shells, spirals, macaroni or anything else you like. Pasta salad recipes tend to be very simple and you can combine various ingredients to make it.

Three Good Ideas for Pasta Salad
Combine cooked pasta with mayonnaise, tuna and sweetcorn kernels for a very easy tuna salad recipe. You might like to add salt and pepper to taste, as well as a tiny bit of ketchup or tomato puree to complement the fish flavor. Use low fat mayonnaise to make this recipe healthier. Alternatively, try sour cream, creme fraiche or yogurt.
Mix cooked pasta with creme fraiche or yogurt, chopped boiled egg, smoked salmon and capers for a gourmet style salad. Again, add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a little curry powder to this one. If you are looking for starter recipes ideas, this might be unusual enough if you serve it in a lettuce leaf or on a chicory leaf. It is certainly tasty enough.
A third recipe would be to add creme fraiche with chopped frankfurters and tomatoes. This is a quick and easy salad recipe. Try adding some well drained pineapple chunks or broiled, chopped onion too.
Tips for Pasta Salad Recipes
The key to a good salad is to let your creativity loose. Throw in any ingredients you think would go nicely and season the salad accordingly. Use leftover chopped chicken or fish, as well as any vegetables past their prime which need to be used up.
You can even add fruit and nuts if you are going for an eastern style. Add some sour cream or yogurt instead of the mayonnaise to keep the calories and fat down, and add a pinch of curry powder and maybe also some chili powder or a little hot sauce. Remember, a little goes a long way when using strong spices and sauces.
Combine your homemade healthy pasta salad recipe with some lettuce and another salad - maybe an orange avocado salad, or something equally delicious, for a complete meal.
Salad is versatile and it can be a good starter recipe, lunch or dinner. Do not be afraid to use your imagination when making these recipes. Also, bear in mind that a colourful recipe is usually more tempting and appetizing than a boring one, so use plenty of colourful vegetables and other striking ingredients.

You can find plenty of wonderful salad inspiration and the best starter recipes at StarterRecipes.co.uk - recipes which suit every occasion and palate.