That is a beautiful pasta sleevendog. I don't tend to use the longer pastas available around here because it's mostly smoother flat or round stuff. Or long round spirals and large chunky stuff. I have to admit I use cheaper pasta.. but it having a texture, tooth, or groves that are easy to get into is important. And messing around with flavors too. We tend to rotate more than you do than do a bunch of different ones at once.. it's just the two of us now so I have to remember to make less.. like we just finished up a 2-4 day run of eating out a batch of chicken bacon ranch pasta salad that overlapped the tail end of some horseradish brussels sprouts slaw.. tonight I'm cooking off little red taters while the kitchen is hot anyway to chill off to make another round of cold salad. I should do a bean salad soon. Something I've noticed about how I make batches of these kinds of salads is that the quantities of stuff kind of remains the same. Like a box/half/1/3 package depending on what kind it is is the "standard" amount of pasta I use depending on how many cans/meats/veggies. And to the thread in general.. does other cold pasta use count as salad? Or other cold service? Sometimes I make cold stuff with big pasta too. Like big tube pastas or shells, leftover lasagna noodles to stuff or roll up with tuna salad, chicken salad, veggie salads of minced tomato, cukes, onion, olives, ect.. and drizzle with the sauce of choice to keep the pasta moist till service. Having your salad in the pasta instead of having your pasta in the salad. I've done this sort of thing for larger party service on occasion. Or when I end up with tail end packages of big pasta for whatever reason and got a few to pack off with the random can of tuna or whatever for a couple lunches.

This is a huge, huge fav of our family - Orzo with Roasted Vegetables 301 Reviews This recipe is a slight variation of a wonderful summer dish invented by Sarah Leah Chase in her book The Open House Cookbook. Level: Easy Total: 1 hr Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Yield: 6 servings Share This Recipe Ingredients 1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced 1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced 1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup good olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta For the dressing: 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/3 cup good olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper To assemble: 4 scallions, minced (white and green parts) 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted 3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled) 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and 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 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature. Copyright 2001 Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All Rights Reserved

Sounds good, provogal. It made me think of this black bean and corn salad that's another good one. Black Bean and Corn Salad Dressing 1 small clove garlic Pinch salt Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste) 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salad 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears) 1 orange bell pepper, diced 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, halved, seeded and diced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream. For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.

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.