Pasta Salads

Ever had a pasta salad at a restaurant or elsewhere that seems not to taste like anything much?

A big mistake people make when they're cooking the pasta is in forgetting to season it. You really do need that salt in the cooking water ;>) Depending on what kind of salad I'm making, I add a little garlic or onion powder, Mrs.Dash or freshly-ground pepper to the drained pasta while it's still hot, as well. This also helps soak up any water that didn't drain away.

If you're using a salad dressing as opposed to mayonnaise, try adding half the dressing while the pasta cools. This won't work with mayonnaise, since the heat of the dish will curdle your mayo, but it's a good idea otherwise, especially if you're making your salad the night before. Save the other half of the dressing to add just before serving.

Pasta tends to suck up and cancel out dressings, and that extra bit of attention can make a world of difference!

Comments

[Nikki]

Great idea about extra seasoning. I usually salt the water used to cook pasta, but have never tried other seasonings.