Pasta Salad- Mix and Match!

This is a great article I found in the last issue of Food Networks Magazine. I had been looking for a GOOD pasta salad and this was a great answer. It gives you lots of options to change it up, and to pick according to your tastes. First I will post the article with all the options, and then I will tell you what I picked to put together at the end. Here is a link to the article online as well. 

Mix and Match Pasta Salad

Food Network Magazine

1. Choose a Pasta

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1/2 pound of any of these pastas as the label directs; drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Pick a Protein (Optional)

Add 1 cup of any of these ingredients, if desired.

Chicken, cooked and chopped

Steak, cooked and chopped

Ham or salami, cubed

Roast beef, chopped

Canned tuna, drained and flaked

Lump crabmeat, picked over

Shrimp, cooked and chopped

Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped

Baked tofu, chopped

3. Pick Your Vegetables
Add 2 of these vegetables or beans, 1 cup each. (To blanch vegetables, boil until crisp-tender, then drain and cool in ice water.)

Broccoli florets, blanched

Corn kernels, blanched

Carrots, shredded

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Green beans, blanched and chopped

Frozen peas or snap peas, blanched

Celery, sliced

Cucumber, diced

Red onion, diced

Bell pepper, diced

Asparagus, blanched and chopped

Canned chickpeas or white beans, drained and rinsed

4. Pick a Mix-In
Add 1/3 cup of any of these ingredients.

Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Roasted red peppers, chopped

Olives, pitted and chopped

Any cheese, shredded or crumbled

Any nut, toasted and chopped

Bacon, cooked and crumbled

5. Dress the Salad
Make one of these dressings, then pour over the pasta salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for up to 3 hours.

Vinaigrette

Whisk 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 minced shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.

Creamy Herb

Whisk 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons sour cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 cup chopped mixed herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Oil

Cook 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes in 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat, stirring, 3 minutes; let cool. Season with salt and pepper.

Creamy Parmesan

Mix 1/4 cup each mayonnaise and sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon finely grated garlic, 3/4 cup grated parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.

What I picked: I chose a regular rotini pasta, boiled 3 chicken breast and cut them into chunks, diced celery, diced green bell pepper, shredded mozzarella, and sliced greek olives. The dressing I chose was the creamy herb and it was delicious! For the mixed herbs I bought a tube of herbs in oil from the produce section of cilantro and basil and used about a tablespoon of each one instead of chopping them fresh. It worked out perfectly. I wasn't totally in love with the olives with this mixture, would be better in one of the vinaigrette dressings I think, but mom loved them. Next time I make this with the creamy herb dressing I think I will do boiled eggs instead of the olives, and I think tomatoes would have been perfect in this as well. I can't wait to try the other 3 dressings and different ingredients to find the right mixture for the right dressing. It was fun! :-) Pasta salad doesn't have to be boring and tasteless- this was delicious and I will make it again!!

Tip: Another reason I like this dish is it is a good way to use what you have in your pantry already. The chicken I used was leftover from homemade pizza I made. I boiled the whole package and only used 1 chicken breast so I had it in the fridge ready to go for this one. Most of the vegetables I used I had cut fresh in my fridge for snacks and I just diced them into smaller pieces. So this is a good way to use leftovers up or use up any fresh produce you may have before it goes bad. It seems I always have a tupperware container of something in my fridge that I end up having to throw out because I bought more than we needed. This way I didn't have to do that this week! Yay!