Italian Pasta Salad

I first fell in love with this salad about three years ago, but forgot about it over the past year. Last night I finally made it again and it was lovely. There is just no substitute for fresh basil! Here is a revamped version of the recipe, updated with pictures:

Original post 6/11-- During the summer I seem to be drawn more toward pasta salads than at any other time of the year. Maybe it's the fact that they can be prepared without heating up the oven (and the house), or that they can be eaten cold. Whatever the case, I know I'm not alone in this summertime trend.

In my search for a new pasta salad recipe last week, I found this one at Disneyfamily.com. I changed a couple things to make it a little more kid-friendly, and I thought it was superb. Especially with the fresh basil from our garden...!

Italian Pasta Salad

1 pound dried pasta shapes (fusilli, orecchiette, penne)--I use whole wheat pasta, whatever variety
2 pounds tomatoes (around 6 medium) roughly diced
1/2 to 1 pound fresh, water-packed mozzarella, cubed--I just used regular mozzarella
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar--I used 1/8 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil--I used less than this the first night we ate it, but on leftover night I had to add a bit more, since it had gotten a bit dry
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. kosher salt (or half as much table salt)--I use Real Salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 packed cup basil leaves, washed, spun dry, and slivered
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts--I've never had these to add to the recipe, but I'm sure they would be good

Cook pasta until just done.

Meanwhile, prepare tomatoes and cheese and put them in very large bowl. 

Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, garlic, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to taste; mayo will help keep oil and vinegar from separating.

Drain hot pasta and shake dry, then add to bowl with cheese and tomatoes and stir with
rubber spatula to combine. (I let my pasta cool for a while before mixing it with other ingredients.)

Add about half the dressing, stir again, then fold in basil and pine nuts. 

Now taste pasta, and add more dressing and salt, if needed. If you have time, cover it and let it sit at room temperature for an hour or so to let flavors blend and to let pasta absorb some of the juice that will come out of the tomatoes. Taste just before serving and re-season as necessary. (Original recipe says not to refrigerate because it might change consistency of pasta, etc, but the second time around, I thought it was almost as good as the first time.)

Krissy Doodle's Noodles

This recipe has remained at the top of our Family Favorites list for several years and continues to also be loved by others we share it with. Every couple months we get to craving Krissy Doodle's Noodles and I have to make up another batch.

Original post (June 2010):
My aunt is a talented cook and she made up this recipe herself. Since she gave my mom the recipe several years ago, it has become a family favorite and has made a big hit with others as well. Even people who don't normally enjoy such things as green olives (like me) or feta cheese generally love this combination somehow. It has such a pretty presentation, too. It's one of my more expensive recipes, so I am not able to make it very often, but when I do we thoroughly enjoy it!

Krissy Doodle's Noodles

Cook 1 pkg. (12-16 oz) multi-colored spiral pasta (the colors make it fun, but it is just as tasty with non-colored) and allow to cool.

Mix all below ingredients with the cooled pasta:

1 pkg. cherry tomatoes, quartered (or I often just dice up regular tomatoes to taste)
1/2 onion, diced very thinly (sweet or bermuda, if possible)
7 oz. (or less) pimento stuffed green olives, sliced
6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (with tomato and basil if available)

Dressing:

2 Tb. olive oil
2 Tb. canola oil
1 T. vinegar (my aunt prefers red wine with garlic)
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tb. quality Blue cheese dressing, like Litehouse or Marzetti's--or make your own from this recipe.
Fresh basil and parsley, if available

Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

W.O.W! My dad says this is the best pasta salad he's ever eaten. For me, it takes a very close second to my all-time favorite, Krissy Doodle's Noodles (man, do I need to update that pic...). This pasta salad has more of a dark, musky flavor, thanks to the bacon and avocados, but is perfectly lightened up by the lemon-dill dressing. 

I've had this salad on my to-do list all summer, ever since a friend posted it on Facebook. So when I finally had all the ingredients at one time, I took the plunge.

The credit for the amazingness of this salad goes to its inventor, foodie blogger of Life's Ambrosia. (The only modification I made was using whole wheat pasta instead of white.) This recipe will definitely be staying in my personal file!

Note: I love dill, so I thought the amount was perfect, but not everyone in my family agreed. I also would cut the amount of bacon in half next time, as it seemed a little overpowering to me, who am not used to a lot of bacon. I noticed in the comments that there are several other good ideas for modifications (such as using potatoes instead of pasta), so as with everything, modify this to your family's tastes. So many possibilities!


Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

Yield: 4 servings

6 slices bacon, chopped into one-inch pieces
1/2 pound dried rotini pasta (I used whole wheat)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon (or about 2 Tb. lemon concentrate)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper (didn't have on hand, for some reason, but it was still excellent without it)
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, pitted and sliced

Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until pasta is cooled.

Whisk mayonnaise, lemon, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.

Stir cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and reserved bacon into dressing (particularly avocados, so they don't turn brown). Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Serve.

Pea and Corn Salad

I first posted this three years ago and it continues to be a family favorite, liked by all of my children (which is generally a difficult accomplishment).

This is my mother's variation on a family recipe that originally called for only peas, Accent (with MSG), chicken, and Pepper Jack cheese. I avoid using MSG, prefer this recipe without the chicken, don't like Pepper Jack cheese, and love the sweetness that only raw corn has, so this is how I now make this salad (but feel free to vary it according to your own family's tastes):

PEA AND CORN SALAD

1 lb. thawed frozen peas
1 lb. thawed frozen corn
cubed cheese (I usually use mozzarella)
croutons

dressing:
2/3 c. mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. salt or seasoned salt (without MSG)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic)
1 tsp. (or more) minced onion

Mix all ingredients thoroughly (to taste) and add croutons at the last minute. If I know that not all the salad will be eaten in one sitting, I will add croutons to only a portion of it, since croutons get soggy quickly.

"Super Salad"--or Kids and Veggies, 2

My kids' favorite salad meal is when I use our Bountiful Baskets salad veggies, make lots of toppings, and they get to make their own Super Salad. I love that they like this kind of dinner (even my 4-year-old, who only eats a couple lettuce leaves) because it's easy, healthy, and can be prepared ahead of time, if need be.

In fact, a couple nights ago when I made this dinner again, my 7-year-old exclaimed, "Mommy, you should write this recipe on the computer so other people can make it!" Her enthusiasm surprised me, and of course there's really no need for a recipe, but I thought, why not talk about it? This idea probably works for other people's kids too.

So here is what we do for our Super Salad night:

Main Salad:
Fresh green leaf lettuce (various types), broken into bite-sized pieces
Tomatoes, diced
Carrots (shredded or thinly sliced)--if available
Cucumbers, diced--if available

Toppings:
Cheese, cubed
Eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and diced
Canned beans, rinsed (for salads, my favorites are kidney and black beans)
Hamburger, cooked and salted to taste with Real Salt, or seasoned with my homemade taco seasoning (I will note--again--that this topping is totally unnecessary, except when I have to resort to it for the oft-mentioned daughter, who is chronically low on iron)
Raisins
Salad dressing of choice

Another thing I love about this meal is that it makes more than one meal's worth and tastes great as leftovers, and can be added to subsequent meals as a side dish.

I'm in Love...

With this salad.

I've had similar salads before, but something about this salad the last couple of weeks has had me in raptures. I enjoyed it so much at Thanksgiving dinner that I replicated it at home. And I even found some store-bought salad dressing that is MSG-free with all natural ingredients (Brianna's)--not that I couldn't have made my own. At Thanksgiving I enjoyed it with honey mustard dressing; at home I enjoyed it with poppy seed dressing. I love how versatile salads can be! And this one has such a pretty color combination as well...

Cranberry-Almond-Feta Salad

Salad base:

Green leaf lettuce, torn
Spinach, torn
cucumbers, sliced
tomatoes, sliced

Over the top sprinkle:

green onions, diced
original feta cheese, crumbled
dried cranberries
candied almonds, crushed
salad dressing of choice

Cashew Turkey Pasta Salad

Sweet but with a zip, this pasta salad has hit the spot for me several times and is a dish often requested for birthdays and parties at my parents' house. (Note: My mom cut this recipe down from the very large amount she makes for our large family so that it would fit my little family better. Thus, it has a couple of weird measurements.)

Cashew Turkey Pasta Salad

Desired amount of diced, cooked turkey or chicken
10 c. uncooked spiral pasta
4 diced celery ribs
8 chopped green onions (or 1/2 white onion, thinly diced)

Cook pasta. Cool.
Pour sauce (see below) over pasta.
Add turkey.
Add celery and onions.
Chill (preferably 2 hours).
Add cashews just before serving.

Sauce:
1 7/8 c. mayonnaise
5/8 c. honey
2 1/2 Tb. cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. salt (preferably Redmond's Real Salt)
4 Tb. (or more to taste) pineapple juice concentrate
2 c. salted cashew halves*  (As these get soft if left in the salad, I prefer to sprinkle them on top just before serving or to allow people to add them to what they dish up as they go.)

*Note: cashews aren't shown in the picture.

"Jello" Salad

I've never been one to get excited about jello, but this healthy variation is one I really enjoy, as do my kids. And the flavor is so much richer than plain old jello that several guests have commented on how good it is. I also love how versatile the recipe is!

How is it healthier? No refined sugars and no artificial flavors or colors. Note: Gelatin packets/envelopes are available in different sized boxes in the jello section of your local grocery store.

Gelatin Salad
Pour 2 envelopes gelatin into small pan with 1 c. cool water Allow to soften 5 min.
Bring to boil, stirring constantly (burns easily). Gelatin should be completely dissolved by this time. Take off heat, stir in 1 can of juice concentrate, any kind (100% juice), cold or frozen. Add 1 Tb. lemon juice.
Put pan in fridge and check every few minutes.
Add cut up fruit of choice when "jello" is starting to harden.
Transfer to serving dish, place back in fridge until set.
Two of my favorite juices to use in this recipe are white grape and peach, and white grape and raspberry. Fruits I especially like to use are peaches, bananas, and any kinds of berries.