Pasta Salads with Punch

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

30 Mar 2008 11:11 AM

When I need to whip together a quick party dish or I'm in a hurry to get dinner on the table I often turn to my clutch recipe--pasta salad. Luckily for my family I have a variety of pasta salad recipes. Of course, that's the beauty of the dish. Not only is it versatile, but you can also dress it up or down depending on the ingredients you have on hand.

The following are pasta salad recipes that I make at least once a month. The first includes fruit, which catches most people off-guard. However, after the first bite most agree that the grapes and pecans give the dish an added crunch that most traditional pasta salads lack. This pasta salad also adds a welcome dash of color to a buffet table.

The second recipe is a Mediterranean inspired pasta salad. It features my favorite artichoke hearts and kalamata olives. Both ingredients are salty by themselves, which is why I go easy when it comes time to adding more salt before presenting the salad to guests.

FRUITY PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

1 lb. Rainbow Rotini (the tri-color pasta)

2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 1/2 cups red and green seedless grapes, halved

1 cup green onion, sliced

2 cups oranges, peeled and sectioned

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup orange juice

4 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup blood orange olive oil (You can find this in gourmet shops or in larger grocery stores like Whole Foods)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil pasta for about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drizzle with orange olive oil and place in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients.

Directions for Vinaigrette:

Combine juice, balsamic vinegar and seasonings. Whisk in olive oil.

Coat pasta with vinaigrette and mix well.

ASIAGO CHEESE PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

1 lb. Your favorite pasta

8 oz. Asiago cheese, cubed

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives

1/2 cup artichoke hearts

Fresh oregano, approximately 6 stems of leaves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. After draining pasta, rinse with cool water. Place in bowl and mix in cubed Asiago cheese, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and fresh oregano. Lightly coat with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Related Articles:

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Potluck Pasta Salad

Dijon Pasta Salad

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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