• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Barbara Bakes™
  • Home
  • About
  • Info
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Breads
  • Breakfast
  • Dessert
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Ice Cream
    • Pastry
    • All Desserts »
  • Main Dishes
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Pasta
    • Meatless
    • All Main Dishes »
  • Side Dishes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Baking Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Baking Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Salads

    How To Make Perfect Pasta Salad

    Published by Melissa on June 24, 2018 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 46 Comments

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    Jump to Recipe

    A perfect pasta salad is bright and colorful, with a great mix of textures and flavors and just the right amount of dressing. With this easy recipe and great tips, I’ll show you how to make perfect pasta salad every time. 

    Featured Image for post How To Make Perfect Pasta Salad

    I love a great pasta salad loaded with fresh veggies and coated with a tasty vinaigrette, but I rarely made it because I had never been completely satisfied with the results – until I found an article, Five Steps to Perfect Pasta Salad, on Allrecipes written by Pam Anderson. It lists the five steps you need to create a perfect pasta salad and it upped my pasta salad game.

    Pam said, “I teach cooking classes across the country, and as often as a possible, I demonstrate pasta salad. Why? Because people make it all the time. (When’s the last time you attended a potluck that didn’t have a pasta salad?) But rarely do these sturdy, colorful, economical salads taste as good as they look. They can be dry, bland, oily, sharp or uninteresting.”

    A collage of preparing ingredients for Perfect Pasta Salad

    Since Pam wrote the article, Allrecipes updated the post slightly and credits a different author, but it’s got the same great tips.

    So with Pam’s five steps in mind I created an irresistible, perfect pasta salad that my family can’t get enough of.

    How To Make Perfect Pasta Salad

    Step 1. Pasta. Use 1 lb. of pasta. I used a box of Barilla Elbow Macaroni. I boiled it as directed in a gallon of boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of salt.

    Step 2. Key ingredients. You need to use 2 lbs. of at least 3 major ingredients. I used crookneck squash, carrots, cucumber, and grape tomatoes.

    The squash and the carrots needed to be cooked a bit before adding so that they were tender-crisp. You can add the vegetables to the pasta during the last minute of boiling or you can drain the pasta and then cook the carrots and squash for one minute.

    Drain but do not rinse the pasta and the vegetables. Pour them onto a large-lipped cookie sheet to cool and dry.

    Step 3. Intense flavors. Add ½ cup of a strong flavored ingredient. I used grated Parmesan cheese.

    Step 4. Onions & herbs. “No matter what else is in your pasta salad, always add three large green onions, sliced, or half of a small red onion, diced.” I add three green onions because I like the milder flavor.

    You also want to add 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs and/or 2 teaspoons orange or lemon zest. I like to add both lemon zest and fresh parsley.

    Step 5. Dressing. Add 1 cup dressing to coat the salad. Although you can prepare the salad in advance, don’t add the dressing until 15 minutes before serving. Then your salad will have just the right amount of dressing. I love to use an easy-to-make Creamy Vinaigrette adapted from Pam’s recipe.

    How To Make Perfect Pasta Salad in Five Easy Steps

    Thanks to Pam I’m no longer intimidated by pasta salad. I make this traditional pasta salad all summer long.

    There’s also lots of great ideas and suggestions in the article, on making other kinds of pasta salads, such as Italian, Greek or Asian. Once you know the basics of How To Make Perfect Pasta Salad the possibilites are endless.

    Featured Image for post How To Make Perfect Pasta Salad
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Pasta Salad with Creamy Vinaigrette

    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Salads
    Keyword: cooking, food, Pasta, recipe
    Servings: 12 - 16 servings
    Author: Barbara Schieving
    Prevent your screen from going to sleep

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb. elbow macaroni
    • 1 ½ cups diced carrots
    • 1 ½ cups diced yellow squash
    • 1 ½ cups diced English cucumber
    • 1 ½ cups diced grape tomatoes
    • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
    • 3 green onions diced
    • 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
    • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
    • 2 large garlic cloves grated or pressed
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    • ¼ cup canola oil
    • ¼ cup olive oil

    Instructions

    • Prepare pasta according to package instructions. (Make sure and add 2 tablespoons salt to the pasta water). Remove pasta to a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Don't discard the cooking water.
    • Add carrots and squash to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove carrots and squash to a large mixing bowl and cool. Add cooled pasta to the mixing bowl.
    • Add the cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, green onions, parsley and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
    • Refrigerate salad covered with plastic wrap. Prepare Creamy Vinaigrette and refrigerate.
    • 15 minutes before serving, pour over Creamy Vinaigrette over the pasta salad and gently stir to combine.
    • Prepare Creamy Vinaigrette: Add lemon juice and mayonnaise into a 2-cup measuring cup. With a small whisk, stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk oils into mixture to make an emulsified vinaigrette.

    More pasta salad recipes you might like:

    Easy Greek Pasta Salad, Sweet Basil
    Spinach Pasta Salad, Barefeet in the Kitchen
    BLT Pasta Salad, Real Housemoms
    Shrimp Pasta Salad, Wine and Glue

    Pin It:

    A photo collage of "With this easy recipe and great tips, I'll show you how to make perfect pasta salad" every time. 

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    « Barbara’s Baking and Pressure Cooking Cookbooks
    Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe »
    about us

    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Rocky Mountain Woman

      June 27, 2018 at 8:45 am

      What a great post. Pasta salad is a go to for me in the summer and the great thing about cooking is you can always learn something new!

      I love the new pic of you too!

      xxoo,

      RMW

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        June 27, 2018 at 4:15 pm

        I could agree more. Thanks so much!

        Reply
    2. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

      June 25, 2018 at 10:51 pm

      I don’t eat pasta salad very often but this one looks fantastic. I love really colourful ones with lots of textures-like this! 😀 xxx

      Reply
    3. Carol

      June 25, 2018 at 10:06 am

      I do enjoy pasta salad but hardly ever make it because most of the versions I’ve made just haven’t made the grade for me. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe-it looks so good and I love how you have all the proportions of each ingredient. That sure makes the whole process easy!

      Reply
    4. rookie cookie

      September 19, 2009 at 6:56 pm

      Lemon zest- I would have never thought of that. Excellent post.

      Reply
    5. Jamie

      September 09, 2009 at 12:13 pm

      I love making pasta salads and throwing so many different things in.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Melissa and Barbara smiling

    Baking made easy! Sharing fabulous recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, breads and more. Barbara Bakes (and Melissa too!) Recipes from both of our kitchens to yours.

    Learn More »

    Popular Posts

    A collage of Ace-Blender-Tomato-Basil-Soup-Barbara-Bakes

    Ace Blender Tomato Basil Soup

    6 easy cake pops on a plate made with a brownie mix, covered in chocolate and sprinkles

    Easy Brownie Cake Pops

    Lemon Bar Cookie Cup Bitten

    Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

    A sweet, moist, dense key lime pound cake drizzled with a tart key lime glaze. A delicious Southern twist to a traditional pound cake.

    Key Lime Pound Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    SEEN ON

    as seen on promo graphic

    SEEN ON

    as seen on promo graphic

    About

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Press

    Browse

    • Recipe Index
    • Popular
    • Baking Tips
    • Travel

    Subscribe

    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 barbarabakes.com. All rights reserved. DISCLOSURE - PRIVACY POLICY.