Kitchen Tips How To Use This Easy Formula to Make the Best Pasta Salad Every Time We've cracked the code! By Vanessa Greaves Vanessa Greaves Vanessa Greaves is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes with nearly two decades of experience helping home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. A self-taught cook who grew up reading cookbooks for fun, Vanessa lives and breathes the challenges faced by busy everyday cooks to get dinner on the table. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on May 12, 2021 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: The Sporadic Cook Making a rave-worthy pasta salad requires a bit more than just tossing pasta and add-ins into a bowl, drowning them in dressing, and hoping for the best. We've figured out just the right balance of ingredients you need to produce irresistible pasta salad that will have people begging you for your secret recipe. How to Make Pasta Salad in 5 Easy Steps Whether you're making an Italian pasta salad, a Greek pasta salad, an Asian pasta salad, or the Easy Tuna Pasta Salad, you'll use the same basic formula so you get the right balance of ingredients. The ingredients themselves will change, but the formula will stay the same. This formula makes enough pasta salad to serve as a main dish for 6 to 8 people or a side dish to 12 to 16 people. 12 Summer Pasta Salads With Bold Flavor 1. Cook 1 Pound of Pasta Photo by Meredith. Choose 16 ounces of bite-size pasta such as penne (shown above), farfalle (bow ties), fusilli (corkscrews), ziti, rotelle (wagon wheels), macaroni, or small shells. Cook the pasta in one gallon of boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of salt until just tender. Drain but do not rinse the pasta. Instead, toss it with olive oil and dump it onto a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Don't use butter because it clumps up when it cools. Tip: Cook pasta until tender but slightly underdone. Why? Overcooked pasta falls apart when you toss it with dressing. And if you let your salad marinate for several hours, the pasta absorbs extra moisture and could turn mushy if it was overcooked. 2. Prepare 2 Pounds of Main Ingredients (About 8 Cups) Photo by Meredith. These are the salad's major add-ins, including cooked and raw vegetables, poultry, seafood, and canned beans. Some need little or no preparation before going into the salad. Others can be lightly cooked. Still others are best sauteed or grilled. Tip: Choose at least 3 major flavorings. Let one ingredient dominate. For example, combine 1 pound of asparagus with 8 ounces each of sliced mushrooms and cherry tomatoes for a total of 2 pounds. Ideas for adding cooked vegetables: These can be boiled or blanched in the pasta water. Just add them to the pot during the last minute of boiling. Drain and cool them with the pasta, or shock them in ice-cold water for a just-right, tender-crisp texture. Broccoli or cauliflower, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick coinsAsparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-size lengthsCarrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch coinsGreen beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size lengthsSnow peas or sugar snap peas, strings removedZucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick Ideas for adding raw or canned vegetables: Raw vegetables add snappy color and texture, while canned vegetables are convenient time-savers. Canned artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and quarteredBean sproutsCelery, sliced 1/4-inch thickMushrooms, thinly slicedCucumbers, quartered lengthwise, cut into bite-size pieces and lightly saltedFennel, trimmed, halved, cored and thinly slicedAvocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into bite-size pieces (add at last minute to prevent darkening)Zucchini, halved lengthwise if small, quartered lengthwise if large, then thinly slicedCherry tomatoes, halved and lightly saltedBell peppers, cored and cut into bite-size stripsTomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice and lightly saltedFrozen green peas, thawed Ideas for grilled or broiled vegetables: Brush vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before grilling or broiling. Eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; cut into bite-size pieces after grillingFennel, trimmed, halved, core left intact, and cut into wedges; cut away tough core after grillingLarge whole mushrooms; slice or quarter after grillingBell peppers, cored, seeded, and quartered; cut into bite-size pieces after grillingZucchini, cut on the diagonal into slices 1/2-inch thick Ideas for sauteed vegetables: Asian-style salads taste best with lightly sauteed vegetables, particularly celery and peppers. Celery, sliced 1/4-inch thickBell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into bite-size strips Ideas for proteins: Be sure to cut up meats and cheeses into bite-size pieces Canned beans, drained and rinsedChicken breasts, grilled, sauteed or steamed and cut crosswise into thin bite-size stripsItalian sausage, steam-sauteed and sliced thin on a slight biasCooked lobsterCooked and peeled shrimpCanned tuna, drainedMild cheeses (e.g., mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack), cut into 1/2-inch cubesCrabmeat (pasteurized lump), picked over for shellHam, sliced 1/4-inch thick and cut into bite-size strips 3. Add Strong Flavors Photos by Meredith. More intensely flavored than the main ingredient vegetable and protein add-ins, these bold tastes are essential but should be used sparingly so they don't overwhelm the pasta salad: Italian pasta salads often include salami and basil. Roasted peppers, pine nuts, and feta cheese are typical add-ins for Greek pasta salads. For Asian-style pasta salads, try sesame or sunflower seeds and pickled ginger. Ideas for strong flavors: In most cases, add about 1/2 cup, unless otherwise noted. Salami, sliced and quarteredFeta, crumbledParmesan, shaved with a vegetable peelerGoat cheese, crumbledCapers, drained (1/4 cup)Olives, pitted and coarsely choppedPepperoncini, drained and thinly slicedRoasted peppers, cut into stripsSun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into small diceBacon, fried and crumbled (8 ounces)Prosciutto (8 ounces), thinly sliced, cut into small diceSmoked salmon (8 ounces), thinly sliced, then cut into thin strips (other smoked fish and shellfish are possibilities as well)Pine nuts, toastedRoasted cashews, coarsely choppedRoasted or honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely choppedToasted sesame seeds (1/4 cup)Sunflower seeds 4. Add Bright Accents Photo by Meredith. No matter what else is in your pasta salad, always add a few sliced green onions or half of a diced small red onion. The types of onions are completely interchangeable, although green onions are usually included in Asian-style pasta salads. Then mince 3 tablespoons fresh herbs and/or grate 2 teaspoons orange or lemon zest (the peel minus the bitter white pith). Flavor tips: For Asian-style pasta salads, consider cilantro, basil, and/or the citrus zests. Dill and mint are usually compatible with creamy-style salads. Rosemary and tarragon are strong flavors, so use just 1 tablespoon of either herb combined with 2 tablespoons of minced parsley. And if you're ever in doubt about which herbs to use, you'll never go wrong with good ol' chopped fresh parsley. 5. Make a Salad Dressing Photo by CC. Recipe shown: Italian Dressing Mix You'll need about 1 cup salad dressing to coat the salad. The key is to make sure the dressing is thick and emulsified, so the pasta absorbs the oil and vinegar evenly. For best results, use a mild rice wine vinegar or lemon juice. Balsamic vinegar turns the pasta an unattractive brown. Assembling the Pasta Salad Finally, place all of your ingredients in a much larger bowl than you'll serve the pasta salad in, and give everything a good toss. The larger the bowl, the better chance you have of evenly distributing all the bits with the dressing without flinging it all around the kitchen. Some pasta salads need an overnight rest in the fridge to let the flavors meld and blossom, and some can be served right away. Your recipe should give you guidance, but read the reviews to see what home cooks recommend, too. Browse All Pasta Salad Recipes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit