I have been looking for a good pasta salad recipe to make for potlucks over the summer. I was not satisfied with any of my search and came up with this on my own. The goal of the salad was to remain fresh after a few hours, should not become soggy and to retain the taste.
Well I recently made this for a
Potluck and this was served after few hours and I should say it was delicious. I made my own salad dressing, and added the dressing just minutes before serving and that did the trick of not making it soggy.
Adding vegetables is totally up to your choice. I would have loved to add some peppers or jalapeno to kick up the spice level but left that out since kids would be eating them.
Serves 12-15
Ingredients Required:
Pasta - 16 oz Penne or Rotini or any bite size pasta
Cherry Tomato - 16 oz, cut in halves
Olives - 1 can, sliced
Basil - 1 cup, roughly chopped
English cucumber - 1 cup, chopped
Fresh Mozzarella - 1 cup, small chunks
Olive oil - 2 tblsp
Dressing:
Olive oil - 1/4 cup + 2 tblsp
White vinegar - 2 tblsp
Lemon juice - 2 tblsp
Dijon Mustard - 1 tblsp
Parmesan cheese - 2 tblsp
Oregano - 2 tsp
Rosemary - 1 tsp
Chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar/honey - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - pinch ( for color)
Pesto - 2 tblsp
How to make :
In a large pot, boil water and cook the pasta al dente.
Drain the water and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Give a shake so they do not clump together.
In a large mixing bowl, add the halved tomato, olives, basil, cheese and the pasta.
Add the olive oil and give a good toss.
In a mason jar, add all the ingredients for the dressing and give a good shake for a few minutes.
You would end up with a pale yellow creamy mixture.
Keep both the salad and dressing refrigerated till ready to use.
Mix the dressing to the salad just before serving.
Give a good toss and serve.
Notes:
Stays well for few hours outside and perfect for large crowd potlucks.
Make sure to mix the dressing just before serving to ensure the freshness in texture and taste.
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