Pasta Salad A La Alexis Recipes

CLASSIC PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Strain pasta and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process; you don't want it to be mushy. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add salad dressing, pepperoni, salami, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, feta cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion to the pasta; toss to combine.
• Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

PASTA SALAD ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Put the eggplant in a colander and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse and drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to the package directions.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, capers and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes start to break down, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the drained pasta to the bowl with the eggplant mixture and stir in the vinegar; add salt to taste. Let stand until cooled to slightly warm or room temperature, then stir in the mozzarella and basil. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

PASTA SALAD A LA HONEYBEAR

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
• Mix rotini, red onion, roasted red peppers, mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, salami, green olives, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
• Whisk Italian-style dressing and mayonnaise together in a small bowl; pour over rotini mixture and toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Refrigerate salad at least 2 hours before serving.

PASTA SALAD A LA ALEXIS

Steps:

• Put a large pot of water on the stove and heat on high until bubbling. You can also throw some salt in the pot if you so desire. Add any amount of past you would like and also if you are adding corn, I usually break a cob in half and place them in the boiling water with the pasta. Again, you can use one or both of the corn cobs in the ingredients list. If you want to do the corn cobs separately, you can do that too! The corn does not have to be terribly soft, but just cooked a little.
• Watch pasta - it usually takes about 8-10 minutes to cook. I like to cook mine a little more than al-dente for pasta salad. The whole wheat pasta has a different consistency and is usually a little thicker, so I cook mine till soft. Drain the pasta and corn cobs if used.
• Put pasta in a bowl and add some dressing. I probably used a few tablespoons. I did not add a lot b/c I just wanted to get the flavor and I am not crazy about the flavor of fat free Italian. Also, I used the kraft zesty Italian b/c it had vinegar listed higher in the ingredients than corn syrup. Add a few drops of vinegar and also a teaspoon or two of oil. The amounts all depend on the amount of pasta you are making.
• Chop up some tomatoes and add them to the pasta salad.
• Cut the corn off the cob and add to the pasta salad.
• Add some black beans - amount depends on your liking.
• Slice up some carrots, broccoli, olives and green peppers and add to the pasta.
• Taste the pasta salad so far and see if any other seasonings (dressing, oil or vinegar) need to be added. You can always add a little Italian seasonings if you have any or fresh cilantro. Feel free to add a little salt and pepper - it never hurts!
• You can enjoy this warm right away or keep in the fridge to get cold. It is good the next day too!
• ENJOY, and make often!