I like cold pasta salads, too, but not with mayo. I make mine with EVOO and red wine vinegar and Italian spices. Cherry tomatoes, too.

My favorite one is a recipe someone posted in HD Conversations. It is the only one I make. So simple and delicious.

I'm not sure that it counts as a pasta salad, but I love quinoa salad. Load it up with veggies (and meat if desired), season with whatever herbs sound good, a dash of salt/pepper and a splash of oil and vinegar, lime or lemon juice and it is good to go.

I make mine with orzo, chopped vegetables, olive tapenade, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. I made one last week with gluten-free pasta for a friend's party. Yum!

I must be one of the few that look at cold pasta salads and tell myself "never in this lifetime". I put them in the same category as jello salads.

My hubby is right there next to you, maifleur. He likes potato salad and my quinoa salad, but he won't touch pasta salad. The exception is a bite or two of my macaroni salad which I make about every three - five years when I need a macaroni salad fix.

I agree maifleur.

But such recipes made with quinoa, as dawn mentioned, and with olive oil will be much more healthy and nutritious.

The way I usually serve pasta salad is as an addition to a garden salad. I top a plate of greens like romaine, leaf lettuce and spinach (any or all together) add some fresh cut veggies, top with the pasta salad and add some protein, chicken, left over thin sliced steak, chopped egg, shredded cheese, etc. Whatever I have on hand. A favorite summer meal here. Different add ins and different salad dressings makes for a custom made meal even though I often start out with a box of Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad mix.

My friend makes this, and it's always requested for potlucks: dilly pasta salad

Just got off the phone with her, asking that she make this, for meal train. Friend has been in the hospital for over 3 months, and I'm getting signups for several times a week, to help relieve the family. She went home, finally, today.

I will eat potato salad, but I am picky about it,and occasionally a very small serving of macaroni salad if it is not too "wet" and bloated. But pasta salad will not cross my lips. When one starts putting cheese and cold meats in pasta salad it only ups the yuck factor. I don't eat cold pizza either.

Ooooooh, watchmelol! You may have ALL of my potato salad and I'll keep all of the pasts salads with the cheese and meat and cold pizza too LOL. What a team we could be :)

I mostly agree with watchme. Most potato salad is made with too much mayo and the German style with no mayo at all I find more palatable. And I won't eat pasta salad or mac and cheese.

I don't have pizza very often - a few times a year at most - but cold pizza for breakfast is something I do enjoy.

I like my potato, macaroni, deviled eggs, shrimp or crab spreads and egg, tuna or chicken salads with just enough mayo based dressing to hold the ingredients together. I can't stand gloppy salads; it's a texture thing - too much mayo makes me gag. Same reason why I rarely put mayo on a sandwich.

I sometimes make a new (small red) potato salad with:

finely minced fresh celery hearts, fresh finely chopped green onion, finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, fresh finely chopped dill weed (wash well to remove sand), EVOO, cider vinegar, maybe a bit of dijon mustard; bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Boil new potatoes. I try for small ones, halved or quartered. When the potatoes are just done ( careful not to over cook), drain. Then add the vinegar to the hot potatoes. Sometimes I add the entire vinaigrette ingredients (listed). Toss gently to distribute. Leave the hot-warm vinaigrette coated potatoes covered for a while (20 minutes). Add other ingredients and toss to combine. I like to refrigerate because I like mine cool, but also to prevent any chance of food poisoning (keep rice, pastas, potatoes and other carbohydrates well refrigerated).

Optionally — add a few rinsed capers. If you forget the fresh dill, it’s still very good. Use as much good EVOO as you like, or use just a bit. Very good as side to grilled chicken.

Sign my name to Maifleur's post.

All this talk about Pasta salads and only Janie is forthcoming with recipes!

Mine has a lemon juice/Dijon dressing. Pasta, mozzarella, pepperoni, carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, black olives, cherry tomatoes, all served on a bed of romaine.

My favorite pasta salad is angel hair, chopped ham, chopped fresh tomatoes (home-grown, if possible), marinated mushrooms, ripe olives, broccoli, and shredded mozzarella or provolone. The pasta must be angel hair--anything else is too thick and chewy--and only clear Italian dressing. It's best when freshly made, because it seems to me that when it's refrigerated, or sits for awhile, the dressing makes the pasta slightly bitter.

I love a salad of the same ingredients without the pasta, too.