Lemony Shrimp and Ditalini Salad

3 hard cooked eggs
1 C. uncooked Ditalini pasta
1 lb. frozen salad shrimp
3 stalks celery, finely diced
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 tsp. fresh dill, finely chopped (I use more)
1 T. parsley, coarsely chopped
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1 C mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to taste
dill and parsley for garnish

Cook pasta al dente' (about 8 minutes). Rinse in cold water and drain. Toss pasta, shrimp, celery, onion, parsley and dill with mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season to taste. Gently fold in sliced eggs, reserving several slices for garnish. Chill at least two hours.

Italian Pasta Salad

1 16 oz box multi-colored rotini
1 zucchini, sliced
1/4 C sliced black olives
1/2 lb. ham cut in julienne strips
1 1/2 oz. pepperoni slices, halved
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 red pepper, slivered
1 8 1/2 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 C chopped celery
3/4 C sliced green onion
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 C. prepared Good Seasons Italian salad dressing
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper

Prepare pasta according to directions, Drain and rinse with cold water. Add zucchini, olives, ham, pepperoni, salt, red pepper, artichoke hearts, celery, green onion, oregano and thyme. Toss with dressing, adjust seasonings according to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and generous grinds of Black pepper.

This post was edited by georgysmom on Mon, Aug 5, 13 at 16:01

Angel Hair Pasta Salad
1 7-oz pkg angel hair pasta
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 medium cucumber, chopped
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, and onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Makes 8 servings

This is our favorite pasta salad- I usually double up on the dressing because it absorbs it and I like to serve it over a big bed of greens so it needs extra dressing. It's a great summer dinner or lunch.

Pasta Salad

12 oz. three color pasta, the corkscrew kind, cooked and drained
1 package of frozen veggies-broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts. Pour the hot pasta over the frozen veggies, it'll thaw them and they'll be nice and fresh tasting.
1 cup of black olives, sliced
1 cup of mozzarella, cubed, small
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved or dice up regular tomatoes
1 small package of pepperoni slices, halved
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered (marinated or plain)

Dressing- 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 2 tsp dijon mustard, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.

Mix it all together, pour on dressing. Let sit in fridge until time to eat, serve over a bed of lettuce.

throw together...

pasta shells

1 can of albacore tuna well drained

1 hard-boiled egg per person diced

mayo (to taste) mixed with T of (or more) pickle relish, about T of mustard, lemon pepper to taste

mix and chill..if you like, 1/2 c frozen peas...blanched slightly...cooled.

dh like his in a seeded and cored tomato with shredded lettuce

Any leftovers keep well for about 2 days. The dressing is easy and tastes much better than something store bought! This is a go to party pleaser!

Antipasto Salad

3 cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
4 ounces provolone cheese -- cubed
4 ounces sliced pepperoni -- quartered
4 ounces hard salami -- cubed
1 medium green pepper -- diced
2 celery ribs -- chopped
1 small onion -- chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes -- halved
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, cheese, pepperoni, salami, green pepper, celery, onion and tomatoes.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. 10 servings

This one from Pioneer Woman takes some prep work but it's so, so good. It's a cross between a pasta salad and a regular salad. I didn't use the hot peppers in the dressing.

Asian Noodle Salad - Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled
1/2 heads Sliced Napa Cabbage, Or More To Taste
1/2 heads Sliced Purple Cabbage, Or More To Taste
1/2 bags Baby Spinach, Or More To Taste
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
1 bag Bean Sprouts (also Called Mung Bean Sprouts)
Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste
3 whole Scallions, Sliced
3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
1 can (about 10 Oz.) Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet
_____
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 whole Lime, Juiced
8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
1/3 cups Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapenos, Chopped
Chopped Cilantro
Preparation Instructions
Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.
Note: dressing keeps for up to three days before serving, without cilantro.

Here is a link that might be useful: Asian Noodle Salad

I think this may be a Barefoot Contessa recipe. I won a first place with this:
ORZO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
1 small eggplant, peeled & 3/4" diced
1 red bell pepper & 1 yellow bell pepper, 1" diced
1 red onion, peeled & 1" diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 lb orzo
Dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 green onions, minced (white & green part)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (or roasted w/vegetables for
last 20 minutes)
3/4 lb feta cheese, 1/2" diced, not crumbled
15 fresh basil leaves, cut in julienne
I

Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Toss the eggplant,
peppers, onion & garlic with the olive oil, salt &
pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes until
browned, turning once with a spatula
Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 9
minutes, until tender. Drain & transfer to a large
serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta,
scraping all the liquid & seasonings from the roasting
pan into the pasta bowl.
For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil,
salt & pepper & pour on the pasta & vegetables. Let
cool to room temperature, then add the green onions,
pine nuts, feta & basil. Check the seasonings & serve
at room temperature.~~

Deleting duplicate post.

This post was edited by walnutcreek on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 11:14

Deleting duplicate post.

This post was edited by walnutcreek on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 11:15

ATK Macaroni Salad

1 cup elbow macaroni (can use whole-wheat; I use ring pasta too)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 T bbq sauce
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 tsp. chili powder

Bring 2 quarts water to boil in pot. Add macaroni and 1/2 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until tender. Drain macaroni in colander and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain briefly, so that macaroni is still moist, then transfer to large bowl. Add mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, scallions, and chili powder to bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Apologies for the triple posts. Don't know what happened.

Apologies for the triple posts. Don't know what happened.

Ginger_St_Thomas beat me to it. I was going to post Barefoot's Roasted Vegetable and Orzo salad. I make that regularly.

this is on the new edition of diabetes self help and it sounds so good.

Crab and portabella mushroom fettuccine

Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes

1/2 pound enriched, dry fettuccine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 pound cooked crabmeat (or cooked imitation crabmeat, which is much lower in cholesterol)
4 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, washed and stems trimmed
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 lemon
2 teaspoons basil leaves
Black pepper to taste

Boil fettuccine in a stockpot or large saucepan according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and stir quickly a few times with a heat-resistant spatula or spoon. Add crabmeat, mushrooms, and peppers, and saute until the mushrooms and peppers just start to deepen in color and soften slightly. Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice of one half into the pan. Reserve the other half and cut into wedges to use as a garnish on the finished dish. Add basil leaves and black pepper, and saute until combination is well mixed. Drain fettuccine when cooked through. Serve crab mixture over cooked fettuccine.

Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 cup crab mixture over 1/4 of pasta
Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
Calories: 321
Carbohydrate: 45 g
Protein: 24 g
Fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 85 g
Sodium: 515 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Exchanges per serving: 4 lean meat, 3 starch
Carbohydrate choices: 3
Crab and portabella mushroom fettuccine

I have not tried this recipe yet, just got it from a friend. However, it sounds delicious so thought I would share.

7 Layer Pasta Salad

Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2013/08/7-layer-pasta-salad.html

DRESSING:
1 package dry Ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/8 cup sliced green onion
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (1/4 to 1/2 to taste), optional
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

SALAD:
2 cups fresh chopped broccoli
1/4 pound farfalle bowtie pasta (about 2 cups dry)
2 cups thinly shredded lettuce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken, smoked ham or turkey
1 cup frozen green peas -- thawed
1 large slicing tomato -- seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

GARNISH:
2 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon sliced green onion

Mix the salad dressing ingredients and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add plenty of salt. Add the raw broccoli, return to a boil and let cook for about a minute. Remove and plunge the broccoli into iced water to stop the cooking process, but reserve the water for cooking the pasta. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to the package directions. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process; set aside until cooled and no longer steaming.

When ready to prepare the salad, toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the dressing mix. To layer, add lettuce to the bottom of a clear bowl approximately 3 quarts in size, and top with layers of the meat, broccoli, pasta, peas, tomatoes and the cheese. Pour the remaining dressing on top and if serving right away, sprinkle the top with the chopped bacon and 1 tablespoon of sliced green onions. Toss before serving.

May also prepare, cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Bring to room temperature and wait to add garnishes before serving. Serves 8

Cook's Notes: Substitute 2 cups of a bottled Ranch or other flavored dressing if desired. May also use different pasta shapes or cooked cheese tortellini, and substitute thawed, frozen broccoli in place of the fresh. Substitute other cooked proteins, such as seafood.

Additional suggestions for layers: Sliced or chopped red or sweet onion, sliced or chopped red, green or yellow bell peppers, drained, chopped pimentos or roasted red peppers, sliced or roughly chopped boiled eggs, sliced black or green olives, chopped avocado that has been tossed in fresh lime juice, well drained and chopped marinated artichoke hearts, fresh pan sauteed or steamed chopped asparagus, or a variety of canned beans that have been drained and rinsed are all good choices.

Made this yesterday..Kamren approved.I added left over grilled chicken and sliced almonds for a pre football practice protein punch lunch. I used rice noodles. And just used what I had in the veggie drawer. I eye balled the dressing..and didn't use near the amount of sugar ratio she called for.

The recipe comes from ClawsonLive.blogspot.com .

Thai Pasta Salad
Make's 1 enormous bowl of salad
recipe adapted from a recipe on The Pioneer Woman and originally from The Naked Chef TV show.

1 lb. of linguine pasta cooked or 1 lb of rice noodles (For rice noodles a quick minute or two in boiling water should soften them up sufficiently.

In a really large bowl add:

1 head Napa cabbage chopped (I used regular.)
peppers sliced
purple cabbage
matchstick carrots if you don't have colorful peppers
fresh bean sprouts
a bunch of green onions sliced
some cucumbers sliced
1 bunch of cilantro chopped or a lot of chopped fresh basil (Basil is best!)
sliced water chestnuts
a few big handfuls of baby spinach (you can add more or less of this to stretch the salad)

Any of the veggies can be adjusted to your liking. If you don't have something don't worry. Just improvise or add a little more of something else. Once the noodles are cool toss them in the bowl with all the veggies.

Dressing

1 c. olive oil
3/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. sesame oil (optional)
1/2 t. ground ginger

Toss the salad all together and make all sorts of yummy sounds! Sprinkle a handful or two of chopped peanuts, or sugar glazed almonds. Taste it. I usually add a little more sugar, but it's up to you.

This was a hit at my house.
Almost everyone ate it and the leftovers were fought for the next day. #2 son doesn't eat salads of any nature...lol

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing
Serving Size: serves 2
Ingredients

12 3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4â³ strips
1/4 cup canola or corn oil for frying
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 chicken breast, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cups cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled
dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil(I used olive.)
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions

Heat canola or corn oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins in batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they donâÂÂt burn. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.
In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds and pasta.
Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips and serve.

http://www.foodiecrush.com/2012/03/craving-chinese-chicken-salad-with-sesame-dressing/

"Italian" Pasta Salad

16 oz. Rotini pasta
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 c. Italian dressing
2 T. dried basil
2 T. dried oregano
1 cup sliced mushrooms
5 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2-1/4 sliced ripe olives, drained
1 large cucumber, coarsely chopped

Cook and drain pasta, rinse with cold water. Mix tomato sauce, dressing, basil, and oregano. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Makes 12 servings.

The leftovers for the Thai Noodle salad I posted were good the next day and the second day..just a bit juicy today from the cabbage and cucumbers releasing more liquid..but still crisp and tasty.

It will be an excellant lunch box meal.

JERRYâÂÂS CRABMEAT PASTA SALAD

2 small handfuls of shell macaroni (or about 2 cups)
5 or 6 stalks of celery
half a handful of black olives
1/4 handful pimento (optional)
1/4 onion, diced
1 package (or 1 pound) imitation crab meat
2 cups of mayonnaise
1/2 cup Dijon mustard

Cook the macaroni, then drain real good.

Chop those vegie type things. then mix them in the bowl with the macaroni shells.

Blend the mayonnaise and the Dijon mustard and add it to the bowl. (sometimes I use a couple of dashes of red wine vinegar, but be careful you don't make the salad sloppy). Chill and serve....

Sometimes when I am feeling expansive I add a can of chopped up artichoke hearts.