Best Pasta salad

Am looking for good pasta salad receipes to use up excess pasta. Prefer those with not-so-creamy dressing.

Just use Italian dressing instead of a creamy based dressing - add veggies of your choice, some pepperoni, cheese and black olives.

What type of pasta? Different pasta works best with different "add-ons".

short pasta (dry pasta)such as fusilli, penne, farlle. thanks

Pasta "shapes" work well with pesto as they 'hold' it. I look in my fridge to see what needs using up and add that, preferably crunchy things. Bell peppers, baby asparagus, green beans, cherry tomatoes, artichokes hearts (from a jar), peas, etc. Along with the pesto add some nice crumbly goats' cheese, or feta.


For the fusilli, mix with a can of tuna (drained), some olive oil, shaved parmesan, chopped cucumber, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, and some chopped fresh flatleaf parsley.




Mediterranean Salad


Colourful and works with any of the pasta shapes you mentioned.


(Serves 6-8)


Ingredients

340g pasta shapes, cooked and drained

2-3 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges

3 courgettes, cut half lengthways

1 large aubergine, cut into thick slices

1 red and 1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and cut into quarters

Olive oil

Sea salt and cracked black pepper


To serve:

Extra virgin olive oil, chilli oil and balsamic vinegar or pesto

Parmesan or mozzarella

Torn basil leaves


Method

1. Preheat the grill to a medium heat. (Can also be done on a barbeque.)

2. Toss the vegetables in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Grill the peppers first. Cook skin side down until the skin becomes charred. Remove from the grill, peel off the skin, cut into strips and set aside.

4. Grill the remaining vegetables until soft and crisping at the edges. Remove and cut the aubergine and courgettes into chunks.

5. Stir the vegetables through the cooked pasta. Pour over extra virgin olive oil, chilli oil, balsamic vinegar or pesto. Serve topped with parmesan or mozzarella and torn basil.

Add tuna,spring onions chopped, sweetcorn, chopped up gerkins, cherry tomatoes, chopped up cucumber, chopped up roasted yellow/red peppers and hard boiled egg to top. No need for dressing as the gerkins make it nice and tangy.