Pasta salad ideas?

Since Nick moved in we have taken to having shredded chicken cooked in the fridge at all times. It makes for throwing together a quick quesadilla and for supplementing those protein-weak salads. Not sure how it would go over with pasta salad though...maybe some artichoke hearts, if you like them. Spinach salads have been my salad of choice this summer and I use boiled egg in them for protein, but again, not so sure it would work with pasta. What definitely does work, if you like is cucumbers...tomatoe, cucumber, italian dresssing and pasta is yummy together. Or, hunks of monterey jack...cause it's mild enough to gow tih just about anything.

You could add grilled chicken. Caesar Pasta Salad 3 cups uncooked dry rotini pasta 10 ounces cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 cup Ceasar salad dressing-divided use 8 ounces cheddar or mozzarella 6 cups italian Lettuce blend 4 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges Freshly ground black pepper Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water. Combine pasta, turkey and 1/2 cup salad dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes- 1 hour. Stir in cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and remaining salad dressing. toss to coat. Sprinkle with pepper.

APPLE PASTA SALAD Ingredients: 1 container (8 oz.) plain nonfat yogurt 1 can (8 oz.) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained 1/2 tsp salt, optional 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp finely chopped crystallized ginger 1 Tbsp honey 2 cups uncooked rotini pasta 1/2 cup shedded carrot 1 cup sliced celery 1/4 cup sliced green onions 1/4 cup raisins 3 cups diced, unpeeled apples (suggested: Empire, Gala, Ida Red, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Red Delicious, or Rome) Instructions: Thoroughly combine yogurt, pineapple, salt, spices, ginger, and honey; refrigerate. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Cool completely. In large bowl, combine all ingredients including yogurt dressing. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.

i tend to like meat in my pasta salads...stuff like chicken or tuna or even ham just seem to add that extra bit of taste to it...

Here is a base for mexican pasata salad....you could add chicken or beans (black beans would be really good) for extra protien. Heck you could add steak if you have it too! Mexican Pasta Salad 1 12 oz. package of rotelle pasta cooked and drained 1 cup red onion 1 cup red bell pepper 1 can Mexi-corn 8 oz. drained 1 can diced green chilies 1 to 2 chopped jalapenos (optional if you don't like spicy) 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup prepared Italian salad dressing 1 tablespoon Chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 cup Mexican cheese (or cheddar) optional In lg. bowl, combine pasta, onion, red pepper, chiles, jalapenos, and cilantro In small bowl, combine 1 cup Italian dressing, chili powder and cumin pour over pasta mixture tossing to coat will. Chill at least 4 hrs. When ready to serve sprinkle cheese on top.

I'm not much of a cooking person myself but those pre-made pasta salad that you buy are good, so maybe try just making them. Or if there is anything else that you normally like to eat salad with, throw them in them, what could possibly happen?

I would add pepperoni to that recipe, or cheese. (Or both.) My favorite pasta salad is macaroni (or any pasta), chopped celery, sunflower seeds, chopped boiled eggs, and sliced ripe olives. I put mayonnaise on it. You can do just about anything with pasta salad.

My husband likes pepperoni in his Italian style pasta salads. I would think ham would be good too.

I always put pepperoni and cheese in my salad-- also cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, italian dressing, and olives- YUM-- Yep you need a meat in it- I used to use kielbasa- but now I like pepperoni just as well. Pasta salad is my favorite salad- I don't use spaghetti noodles though- I use spiral noodles- gives you more to bite into.

I think I would have tossed some ham or maybe tuna into that mix. I usually make my pasta salad without meat though and have it as a side dish with BBQ chicken or burgers. I like tri-colored noodles, shredded carrots, cubed cukes, a little italian dressing & a little bit of mayonaise.

In a salad like the one you made, I probably would have just added some shredded cheese like mozzerella. You could have also added some slice pepperoni too. If you don't like either one of those you could just grill some chicken and slice that up and add it to the pasta.

Add some chicken, a squeeze of lemon, and some broccoli florets. Black pepper for sure. If you want cheese in it, try mozzarella. Also try shrimp instead of chicken. Yumm....

I just recently discovered this recipe and I make it at least once a week. I take a whole bag of rotini noodles, boil them and about 3 mins. before they are done, I'll add a bag of California blend frozen veggies (Broccoli, Cauliflower and baby carrots mixed) I take it out, rinse in cold water, chop 2 cans of black olives, 3 Tomatoes in chunks, 3 Cucumbers, and I throw in 2 bags of sliced Bell peppers (red, green and yelow) I add a big bag of mild cheddar cheese cubes and mix it all together. I refrigerate it until I am going to serve, then I pour a bottle of Robusto Italian salad dressing over it and mix it together one hour before serving. I make two types, because my Daughter is allergic to shellfish, I serve the above mentioned recipe for her, but the other batch, I'll boil a bag of popcorn shrimp and mix that in. It's fabulous for big parties when you need to feed alot of people! Not only is it very Healthy and delicious, but it's a very colorful dish as well. It looks as good as it tastes