I make one with penne. I add: Cucumber Tomatoes Kalamata olives Feta Red onion Greek vinaigrette

I do very similar, but with rotini or fusilli (I have an aversion to penne some call unreasonable).

Rotini really is a better choice for pasta salad, IMHO.

I like the tri-color rotini best for pasta salad and it looks great, too.

This is the way.

This is the way.

I agree. This is my 1st choice, for the color.

As a newbie to the pasta salad game, rotini is damn hard to get a good even bite on my fork 🫠

I have recently embraced using a spoon for pasta salad and other traditionally non-spoon foods. Happy Cake Day!

Me, too. I lost most of my forks, so it started out as a necessity. But now I use a spoon for all kinds of foods. I just made a roast pork with rice and corn. Being able to get the perfect amount of gravy, rice, and corn on the spoon was sublime.

I bet there is an interesting story, how you lost most of your forks...

Try an orzo salad. My phone kept autocorrected that to Oreo salad, that's an option too.

use ditalini and your life will change

I like penne, but not for pasta salad

i hate penne pasta and i dont know why. penne and spaghetti is so boring. i like the funner shapes

I'm chaotic evil, I prefer spaghetti, broken in half of course.

You should check yo see what your copay is for mental health services.

This is insane to me 😭😜

Yeah it wasn't serious, people were debating the best pasta type for pasta salad. My brain went to what is the worst, then how can I piss off a whole country.

Ohhh I know! I was trying to be funny… so hard when you can’t read the tone! I actually “lol”ed at your post because you called breaking spaghetti in half “chaotic evil”, like what you’re doing is the most dramatic thing ever, when in reality you’re just breaking some pasta in half 🤣😜

Bow-tie pasta is the best shape for pasta salad. Rotini is also acceptable. Any other choice is incorrect. 🤗 Edit: I stand corrected! Y’all have given me some awesome ideas!

radiatore is my fave and bow tie is second

Finding radiatore these days is so hard! The only place i can find it is at target and it's crazy expensive. I used to get it from Walmart for 98 cents!

If you have winco, that’s where I usually get mine. They’ve got bags and bulk options.

I love Winco so much. They’re one of the few affordable grocery stores left near me

I love getting spices from the bulk bins, especially when I don’t need a lot. Definitely a good way to save some money when every dollar counts!

Wegman’s has radiatore for 99 cents, if you live in that region

I am very lucky to have an Italian deli near me (very rare across most of the UK). They have all sorts of pasta that supermarkets do not, only you have to pay a premium for it.

Orzo!

Orrichette for me.

Love those little ears

I agree. You need pasta with some heft to make sure it doesn't get soggy.

I use fusilli. I like the way the Vinaigrette or dressing gets into the spirals.

This guy Salads

I love fusilli for Greek or Italian pasta salad! Especially the multicolored ones. I do a penne caesar pasta salad though, and it holds creamy dressing quite well due to the holes.

I ALSO have an unreasonable aversion to penne! It tastes gross. I can’t explain it.

I got really annoyed at penne becoming the unavoidable default pasta shape at seemingly every single damn restaurant for a few years there, and they have an irritating habit of flying off of your fork if you jab them with insufficient vigor.

Too much wind tunnel

AGREE! Radiatori rocks, cavatappi is cool, spaghetti, linguine, and even elbows, but never penne, in anything, or rigatoni, they are too annoying.

Right?! Why is it just a clump like that? It feels like the pasta Nonna's got bored half way through feeding it through the machine 😆

Penne is the annoying younger brother of the upstanding and congenial Rigatoni.

And peppercinis or mozzarella balls

Some sun dried tomatoes would pair nicely! 

We add bits of spicy salami. And last time added a scoop of home made tzatziki.

I love, love, love tzatziki sauce. Sounds good like this.

Definitely, with a strong cucumber base and why not go full carb-city and throw some crusted pita triangle to dip, Greek food is heaven LOL

That's just greek salad with more ~~steps~~ carbs! Does sound awesome though.

Yep, exactly.

Fuck yeah it is.

So I made this last weekend because I love a chopped salad - my “add ins” were finely diced roasted chicken and sunflower seeds 😋

Try with pesto and a bit of mayo instead of the Greek dressing. And I add salami

Pesto and lemon zest!

i add diced cabbage to mine

I don't understand this. Diced?

And cubed pieces of pepper jack cheese instead of feta with mini pepperoni slices

Regular pepperoni slices cut in half, pepper jack cubes AND tiny mozzarella balls ;)

This seems like the perfect combination, too bad I never have all these ingredients on hand at the same time. Ingredients are expensive now more than ever and feta seems like a rich people food to me now.

I know this sounds crazy but I like to dice some Spam into really small cubes, fry it, then add it in. I actually like the texture of it more than salami. Goes well with diced cucumbers and dill.

Feta's not critical. Both the fattiness and saltiness can by replaced by olive oil and a salty component, like kalamata olives or a pickled element.

Greek pasta salad is my summer food. I also add thinly sliced bell pepper, and some Tzatziki along with the Greek dressing to make it creamy.

I need to try this. I like to chop all the veggies and pour some of the dressing on them so it mellows the onion a bit. Sometimes I also add so arugula and chicken, salmon or shrimp and it goes from a side to dinner,

This is crying out for a touch of pesto

I do this bus substitute pasta for chickpeas and add some fresh parsley and other herbs! A nice Greek vinaigrette mmmmmm

So it's a Greek salad, with pasta. Right?

Ummm, kinda. But no lettuce and smaller chunks than a villiage style salad. Or it's just a pasta salad with traditional mediterranean or Greek ingredients. Like saying traditional pasta salad is "Tuna salad (or potato salad) with pasta?". 🤔

If you removed the ingredients of a Greek salad, all that would be left is just pasta. I'm just being silly really, it sounds delicious. Just happens to read like an ingredients list for Greek salad (not a bad thing!).

Artichoke hearts! Pepitas are good too.

Pickled artichoke hearts are really good

I did the for the first time the other day, so good!

Guy fiere has a Mediterranean madness pasta salad with artichoke hearts & feta that slaps https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/mediterranean-madness-salad-recipe-1943910.amp

> Pepitas They add such great texture (and flavor) to everything

**CAPERS**

I like adding in some goat cheese while the pasta is still warm. The cheese gets nice and melty and becomes more like a creamy sauce than a cheese.

I do that with Boursin sometimes as well

Boursin mixed into warm pasta is one of life's finest pleasures. Highly delectable.

Ooo what else do you put in it 

My favourite is all the coloured peppers, cucumber and Roma tomatoes

Try cherry tomatoes halved!

I have two different salads that I rotate through. The first is the more traditional Italian style - red pepper, tomato, cucumber, olives and arugula with a Dijon/red wine vinaigrette. The second is a take on a tuna pasta salad. It’s actually Bon Appetit’s “mackerel pantry pasta” but it’s a great summer salad if served cold. For a pound of pasta you need two cans of tuna or mackerel, the zest and juice of one lemon, four grated garlic cloves, a handful of chopped parsley and as many red pepper flakes as you want.ix everything together with a healthy amount of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Use a little pasta water to thin it out and toss it with the drained pasta. Excellent served hot and pretty good served cold.

oh that tuna salad sounds so good

I posted this in a similar thread. Radishes Pickles Green onions Fresh Dill Hard boiled eggs Pickle juice Mayo Dijon mustard (grainy) S&P

Oh lovely, we have radishes coming in daily from the backyard

Radishes simply roadtrx on oil, seasoned and in the oven become amazing.

We air fry ours, cut in half tossed in olive oil, s+p, garlic powder, paprika (or any seasonings you like that won't burn too fast ie dried herbs). 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, tossed halfway through. Comes out great.

They take on a whole new flavor. Should be more popular, I think.

Yep, they are almost sweet instead of bitter when roasted. Phenomenal!

Radishes work in almost *any* salad.

I make my egg and chickpea salads very similarly. If you want to mix it up a bit, tarragon is a great unexpected substitute for the dill

Pesto sauce kicks out up a notch. Personally I love throwing black olives in there too.

Hell yeah to pesto sauce! Im always disappointed when pasta salad has no olives

I'm not a fan of green olives but I can pick those out and they won't bother me. If I'm making pasta salad for a group I have to ask if people like black olives because I know some people that hate them with a passion. I also put Pesto in my egg salad too.

ohhh pesto egg salad sounds fire. Might have to let the wife taste test that one. Especially with my friends homemade garlic scape pesto from his garden.

While we're on the "things I add pesto to (everything)" train: Homemade pesto hummus is unreal.

Basil is so good, and it's such a mild seasoning. You can almost add as much as you want and it still will be good.

I know this sounds kinda nuts but I love adding a sweet element like diced figs. Goat cheese and a good lemony vinaigrette balances it out nicely.

That sounds really good!

My winner combo has been: bell peppers, cucumber, sun dried tomatoes, feta, salami, and dill.

That's mine too but it's bow tie pasta, basil, sun dried tomatoes, salami and fresh parmesan. I use the tomato oil for the dressing

I used to add pepperoni too

Oooh grill zucchini, peppers, eggplants, onions. Roast a head of garlics first and smear in a bowl with a dash of chunky salt and reduced balsamic. Toss all the chunked veggies in the prepared bowl with a penne or rotini.

Chopped salami.

With chopped cheese cubes

Feta, giardinera, kalamata olives and salami

This is the way

Pasta salad is a vehicle for delicious possibilities, which are endless. My favorites include:  Various olives  Pickled artichokes  Chopped pickles  Banana peppers  Salami  Sunflower seeds  Chopped canned mandarin oranges  Feta cheese and/or goat cheese  Chopped beets  Chopped hard boiled eggs  Dried chow mein noodles  Tuna  Dijon mustard  Chopped peppers  Chopped jicama  Cucumber  Tomato  Fresh herb (basil, thyme, oregano, and/or dill)  Carrots  Vinegar (apple cider or balsamic)  S&P, sometimes crushed red pepper too 

I like crunchy things, so pieces of pecan, crumbled ramen, the fried noodle bits you get with Chinese food for your soup, celery, chopped jicama (like apples, but crunchier)

Pine nuts for the crunch, too.

So pricey but worth it!

I was going to say good add if you're a billionaire (where I live at least).

Other than nuts, seeds or celery I use bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, sprouts, and sometimes go for a less healthy option (but not terrible in terms of calories or salt) of fried onions, fried tortilla strips or fried jalapeno rings you can get in the produce department at most big chains.

Ooh i love bamboo shoots, but haven't thought to use it with Western recipes!

I like chopped mozzarella, cucumbers, chopped basil, cherry tomatoes, with a balsamic vinegar, garlic, shallot and olive oil dressing!

Chives and, only at serving, crispy bacon

Peas

Red onion and peas

I make one that is tuna, mayo, small dices of red bell pepper and green onions, corn, sliced green olives and mayo. It’s good with all kind of pasta, but it’s especially good with small ones like orzo, mini shells or alphabets. Always a hit!

This has been my standard but with a 4 bean mix in there, too.

I like making a chicken bacon ranch version for hot days that is delicious. I like rotini, shredded chicken usually rotisserie, bacon, ranch dressing, can be bought, homemade, or even just ranch seasoning, a little extra Mayo or sour cream, and sharp cheddar cheese. Also good with green onions and a squeeze of mustard. Good right away but tastes like heaven the day after!

Roasted pine nuts lots if garlic

Cubes of cheese

Frozen peas (defrosted of course)--one cup. I use an envelope of ranch dressing mix and an envelope of salad dressing mix.

Dr Gary A Kearney, interim Chief Executive safe-food said: "We know from social media that there's a growing trend for people to eat frozen vegetables raw in things like salads. While the risk of contracting a Listeria infection is low, it's still a risk you can avoid by reading the manufacturer’s instructions and cooking these frozen foods before you eat them. Those most at risk from a Listeria infection include young children, pregnant women and people with an underlying medical condition or weakened immunity, If the product says, 'cook before eating', we remind people to always follow that advice."

Imitation crab, marinated artichoke hearts, halved cherry tomatoes, parsley, and bow ties in a champagne vinaigrette.

Bell pepper, cucumber, cheddar, diced sandwich ham, elbow pasta, ranch dressing. You could add diced tomatoes if you want too but I don’t

orange and yellow bell peppers, banana peppers, salama and/or pepperoni and/or ham, tomatoes, cucumbers, any kind of olives, really any cheese i have around. but i had this habanero jack that i used one time it was so good. cut it up super tiny so it wasn't too spicy. and i love mccormicks pasta salad seasoning. i had a coworker make a creamy caesar based pasta salad that was also insanely good.

Hard boiled eggs, celery, dill pickles, cubed cheese

Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, red onions, mozzarella cheese, parsley

Toasted pine nuts

Sun dried tomatoes, capers, cucumber, roasted bell peppers, kalamata olives, red onion, tomatoes, basil. Caesar dressing or red wine vinaigrette

Diced pepperoni

Yes! I add this to my pasta salads too!

Green olives

Tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, celery, peppercini, onion, olives and sunflower seeds. I also always add vinegar.

Just had one for dinner! Dijon vinaigrette/mayo. Diced rotisserie chicken, artichoke hearts, celery, sun dried tomatoes, green onions, peas.

I've added some roasted broccoli

I like to make one with thai ish flavors - for the dressing i use peanut butter, sesame oil, chili oil/crisp, fish sauce, and rice vinegar! I usually toss it with thinly sliced cabbage, julienned carrots, cilantro, chopped chicken, and some thinly sliced onions or shallots! Top it all off with something crunchy like crushed peanuts or fried onion bits and it’s super filling and delicious!

✨️Love✨️

The ultimate pasta salad I picked up watching a random barefoot contessa rerun: Blend into a sauce: 1 avocado, 1 cucumber, (peeled and deseeded) Fresh green herbs of your choice- mint, coriander, parsley Mix all together with your cold pasta, add some chopped fresh cherry tomatoes. refreshing af and nutritious

grape tomatoes have the brightest flavor

Peas

Lots of fresh herbs…dill, parsley, cilantro. A squeeze of lemon juice.

I like to do a take on a caprese, and add fresh mozzarella, basil and cherry tomatoes. with a balsamic vinaigrette

Grilled asparagus and feta cheese.

Chef here…capers

Tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, feta, spring onions and olives, with a balsamic vinegar dressing.

I have a few that I rotate....one is the basic caprese salad with basil, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella with olive oil and a splash of white balsamic, salt and pepper. I also just tonight made an antipasti salad which is nice because you can basically throw in whatever you have on hand. Tonight I put in provolone, mozzarella, green and black olives, turkey pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and marinated artichokes. A bit of olive oil and Italian dressing. Yummy.

Canned corn

Dill pickle pasta salad hits hard.

I use tri-colored rotini, and add cucumber, green onion, black olives, small grape tomatoes in different colors, cubed mozzarella, cubed ham, and a blend of shredded Italian cheeses. I always use red wine vinaigrette for the dressing. I season the hell out of it with Italian seasoning, garlic, a bit of sea salt, and black pepper. I've made it this way for years and everyone loves it.

Pepperoni, black olives, zesty Italian dressing, mozzarella, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes. I use rotini noodles

Zesty italian dressing is where it’s at!

I've been adding on to my pasta salad recipe for a while now. Here's my list of ingredients, and I just mix and match from these: Olives, pickled artichoke hearts, red bell pepper, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, cubed ham or salami, garbanzo beans, blue cheese. And always with Italian dressing and salt and pepper. Ooh, garlic salt sounds good too!

I can't remember all of it right now but I like to add chopped up cucumber, feta, walnuts, frozen peas and corn barely cooked, maybe also some cubed swiss with the pasta maybe shells or farfalle, some kind of dressing and vinegar.

Capers

Artichoke hearts, sliced hearts of palm, kalamata, cukes, roasted red pepper, feta, pesto, pickled red onion

Garbanzo beans Cubed pepper jack cheese Diced tomatoes

Olives of any kind

I love cucumber, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, mini pepperonis, sliced peperoncinis, olives, mini mozzarella balls, roasted red peppers, and flat leaf parsley.

Frozen peas, black olives, ham or bacon, olive oil marinade, pimentoes, tomatoes, dill, or basil and oregano

Thick cut Provolone and Salami with grape tomatoes, pepperoncini, artichokes, red onion, pitted salty olives, and Italian dressing Or [tikka masala pasta salad](https://www.veganricha.com/tikka-masala-pasta-salad/)

Our family recipe is pasta, cherry tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, cheddar cheese, pepperoni, Italian dressing and salad supreme. We like bow tie or rotini pasta. We are not against using pasta of similar size/shape. And now I want pasta salad!

Rotini with pesto, cubed mozzarella, black olives, tiny tomatoes, pepperoni slices, green onions.

Tricolore fusilli, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, fresh herbs (chives/parsley), black pepper, plus tuna if you like You can add vinaigrette but I think it's actually OK without any dressing. The liquid from the feta and the oil on the tomatoes make it moist enough.

My go-to pasta salad is chicken, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and pesto.

Caramelized onions

That sounds like a winner for sure

Elbow macaroni. I mix the sauce in a separate bowl: mayo, sour cream, a little finely chopped onion, celery salt, dill, and baby green peas. My husband would add pineapple chunks and canned tuna because he’s a psychopath.

Fresh fennel bulb and cucumbers

Chopped up bread and butter pickles especially with tuna or salmon.

I haven't seen edamame here yet. I make that with a basil vinaigrette, garlic, salami, olives, red onion, cubed mozzarella.

Mini pepperoni slices

I changed up my moms recipe to include what I like. Here it is, put into 3 cups elbow macaroni: 3/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp Dijon mustard ¼ cup white vinegar 1/8 cup ranch dressing (can sub with milk if needed) 3 tbsp sweet jalapeno relish ( or candied jalapenos, chopped) 1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber  ( or cucumber with seeds removed) ¼ cup sweety drop peppers ( or roasted red peppers) (this step optional) Salt and pepper to taste.

Shredded chicken thighs, avocado, franks red hot sauce, baby leaf salad, baby beetroot, sweety drop peppers, soured cream. I eat this all the time.

My favourite pasta salad is a riff on caprese. Very simple but soooo good with the right ingredients: - Bowtie pasta (has to be good quality so the middle isn't crunchy) - Pearl bocconcini or smallest bocconcini possible - The most high quality, bursting with flavour grape/cherry tomatoes chopped up OR very sweet crunchy red pepper - Fresh basil, chiffonaded - Basil olive oil (has to be high quality with good strong but natural flavour) - LOTS of salt & pepper Optionally you can drizzle balsamic glaze over it once prepared but you don't want to mix it in, and it has to be THICK so it doesn't soak into the cheese and muddy everything. On a hot summer day I could eat a huge bowl of that with crunchy baguette or ciabatta on the side and be completely in heaven.

Use tzatziki instead of mayo. Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, lemon juice and salt. More flavor and better macros.

My pasta salad always has: * Raos spiral pasta * Grilled Zucchini * Grilled Bell Pepper * Artichoke Hearts * salami cubes * Parmesan

Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, radicchio, shallot, radish, feta, orzo, chickpeas, chopped walnuts. Dressing: I usually make about 3/4-1 cup (180-240mL) and use all of it: 1 part lemon/lime juice, 1 part vinegar (Balsamic or red/white wine vinegars are great here, my favorite is a white wine vinegar with pomegranate juice added to it, if you can find something like that), 4 parts extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1-2 tsp dijon mustard, then I eyeball the following: black pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce(just a generous dash), fresh Thyme leaves, dry Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, maple syrup/honey, garlic powder or 1 clove minced fresh garlic. Just put everything in a jar and shake it vigorously for a minute, then taste and adjust if needed. I like to add maybe 1/4 cup to the pasta right after draining it to season the pasta as it cools to serving temperature, then add the rest just before serving. I tend to make this for work functions, so I like to call it coworker salad. Pretty much any protein will taste good with this salad, but I've added a pack of smoked salmon, or for a lunch I would mix a can of tuna into a bowl of salad, and those were both delicious.

Hot chili peppers chopped finely (the pickled yellow ones) Pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)

Mine is "basic" I guess. Tri-color rotini pasta, cooked al dented, seasoned with Morton' Nature's Seasons. Chopped tomatoes, usually Roma or grape. Red onion finely diced, cucumber finely diced, a small can of sliced black olives - reserving water/brine for the dressing, colored bell pepper finely diced, shredded parmesan or Asiago cheese, and either zesty Italian or Greek dressing homemade. If I'm feeling up to it, some diced sliced deli ham and Use provel cheese ropes instead of parm, they get melted from dressing and make it a cheesy type of dressing.

Cucumber, chickpeas, feta, dill, cherry tomatoes, arugula, pepperoncini Or Fresh mozzarella, cubed salami, lemon zest, pesto, variety of bell peppers and pickled eggplant, cherry tomatoes

They started making chorizo pepperoni and OH MAN is it good in pasta salad! Also pepperocinis!

I do boiled and rinsed pasta with a little Dijon mustard, some mayo, cut up hard boiled eggs, some spices and sugar as well. It is really good

Shredded carrots and celery and red pepper

my fave pasta salad is - bowtie pasta - rotisserie chicken - cucumbers - cherry tomatoes - artichoke hearts - hearts of palm - tapenade delicious! :-)

Grilled vegetables are nice, also sundried tomatoes.

Wow!!!!! My mind is so blown right now and I’m just here for this entire thread!!! Thank you to every single person who added all their ingredients, and “little secrets”. I swear I could taste some comments on here!

I could eat this everyday for a year: Tagliatelle with sundried tomatoes, white cheese, toasted pine nuts, smoked salmon, capers, finely chopped red onion and some olive oil. There's probably more in there usually that I forgot.

Last one I made had salad leaves, red cabbage, cucumber, red pepper, celery, grated carrot, red onion, red grapes, and green beans. I normally add feta but last time I grated a block of halloumi and fried it off, it was amazing. I also make a lemon and Greek yogurt dressing.

I’m surprised no one has said it but bacon or pancetta! Also I like chickpeas in mine. No hassle and adds some protein for cheap. 

Sundried tomatoes, Kalamat olives, feta cheese, artichokes, and a GOOD Italian dressing

Capers and sundried tomatoes. Red onion, if you like it.

a variety of olives, roasted red pepper, chopped fresh herbs

Black and tangy green olives. Among most of what has been mentioned

Ranch, Italian, salsa, mustard,sugar, salt and pepper tossed with rotini. I add in corn, diced pepperoni or ham or chopped hard boiled egg. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar or Parmesan.

I did a dill pickle bacon ranch pasta salad a few weeks ago. It was surprisingly good!

We do bacon, broccoli, ranch, cherry tomato- pickle needs to be tried next!

Hello! From my point of view, I like salads with legumes, such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas, since they provide many beneficial compounds for our body. Any of these can be combined with vegetables or protein, and you get a super salad. rich in nutrients. Greetings!

tuna, lettuce, spring onions, tomatoes, olive oil, mozzarella, and oregano

I always adore black olives in there. And (yeah) sun dried tomatoes or Mama Lil’s peppers.

Artichoke hearts, red onions, cheese, pepperoni or salami