Cold pasta salad: easy and delicious recipes

In France, pasta is the most consumed food ! Inexpensive, they are also easy to cook. Plus, there are all kinds! Orechiettes, shells, spaghetti… they can be eaten hot or cold, as a main course or as an accompaniment. Among its variations: pasta salad ! An easy meal to prepare when you don’t have time or want to eat simple and balanced.

What to put in your cold pasta salad?

What you want ! In fact, the advantage of pasta salads is that they can be adapted endlessly! They can be made with leftovers or be more elaborate. It’s an easy, simple and complete meal, easy to balance. Indeed, a balanced meal must include a portion of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins. Pasta is a neutral food, so it can be combined with all types of ingredients. Here are some tips for sprucing up your salad:

• Play with textures and add crunch, like seeds (squash, sunflower, etc.) or oilseeds (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, etc.). These foods are composed of “good fats”, i.e. omega 3, 6 and 9, essential for the functioning of the hormonal, immune and even nervous systems.
• Add flavorings: basil, coriander, mint, chives… a tip to give lots of tastes and flavors to your salad, without spending more time in the kitchen. In addition, aromatic herbs are easily cultivated, even on small areas and keep very well.
• Don’t forget the seasoning! In many dishes, the sauce is an essential element, which will make all the difference. Vinaigrette, pesto, sweet/salty sauce… the possibilities are numerous.

How to make a vinaigrette for a cold pasta salad?

As mentioned previously, the vinaigrette is a key element of these cold salads. To change from the classic recipe, you can vary oils and vinegars. Yes, it’s not just olive oil and balsamic vinegar! As for oils, you can very well use walnut, hazelnut or even sesame oil to flavor your salad. For vinegars, there are also more original ones, such as raspberry vinegar.

Whatever vinaigrette recipe you choose, a certain order must be respected:

• Always start by melting the salt in the vinegar
• If you have chosen to use it, add the mustard
• Then add the oil of your choice
• The pepper should be added last! In this way, it will retain all its aromas.

Pasta salad with mayonnaise

Here is an easy and comforting recipe that will please everyone!

Ingredients for 4 people :

• 250 grams of pasta
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 shallot
• 1 small can of green olives
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of tuna
• 4 tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise

Steps :

• Cook your pasta in a pot of boiling salted water
• Chop the garlic and shallot
• Drain the tuna, corn and olives
• Cut your tomatoes
• Drain your pasta and put it in a large salad bowl with the other ingredients. Finish by mixing with the mayonnaise.

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipe

Summer is the perfect time for pasta salads! So here is a balanced recipewith seasonal vegetables.

Ingredients for 4 people :

• 300 grams of farfalle
• 200 grams of green beans
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 4 soft-boiled (or hard-boiled) eggs
• 1 large handful of pitted black olives
• 1 bunch of basil
• Salt and pepper

Steps :

• Immerse your pasta in a boiling pan of salted water and respect the cooking time
• Wash and hull the beans. Immerse them in boiling water for 10 minutes
• Wash and cut the tomatoes and cucumber
• Cut the olives into slices
• Cook your eggs soft (6 min) or hard (9 min)
• In a large bowl, mix the drained pasta and vegetables. Add the basil leaves.

Tip: this salad goes very well with a lemon vinaigrette.

Italian pasta salad with pesto, pine nuts and dried tomatoes

This recipe will take you straight to the Peninsula!

Ingredients for 4 people :

• 250g pasta
• 4 handfuls of rocket
• 8 dried tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons of pesto
• 4 large pinches of breadcrumbs
• 2 large handfuls of pine nuts

Steps :

• Cook your pasta in boiling water
• Wash and drain the arugula
• Drain and cut the dried tomatoes
• In a salad bowl, mix the dried tomatoes, pasta and pesto
• In a fat-free pan, toast the pine nuts and breadcrumbs, making sure that the latter does not darken.
• At the time of dressing, this preparation as well as the arugula

Cold feta pasta salad

Feta is a cheese that is found in many salads! Stronger than mozzarella, it adds flavor and freshness.

Ingredients for 4 people :

• 250 grams of penne
• 1 clove of garlic
• 100 g of feta
• 1 handful of black olives
• 24 cherry tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Steps :

• Heat your penne in a pan of boiling salted water.
• Preheat your oven to 180°C (th. 6)
• Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in 2.
• Peel and chop the garlic
• Wash, dry and chop the basil
• In a baking dish, place the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with the garlic and basil.
  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20min.
• Crumble the feta or cut it into cubes.
• In a large salad bowl, mix all the ingredients, not forgetting the olives. Drizzle with olive oil and add basil leaves.

Idea for cold pasta salad with ham

This simple recipe will be perfect if you don’t have much left in your fridge!
Ingredients for 4 people :

• 250 g pasta of your choice
• 150 grams of diced ham
• 150 grams of diced Emmental
• 200 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 can of corn

Steps :

• Boil some water and add your pasta to the pan.
• Wash the cherry tomatoes before cutting them in half.
• Cut the Emmental and the ham into cubes
• Drain and rinse the corn
• Mix all the cold ingredients.
• Drain your pasta and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Tip: this pasta salad goes very well with a “classic” vinaigrette, made from mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.